


The Jade Eyes of a Dragon

by Ethmellie



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst, Boys In Love, Character Death, Flashbacks, Fluff, Legends, M/M, Magic, Multi, Original Character(s), Post-War, Royalty, Shapeshifting, Slow Burn, Swords, Violence, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:08:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 55,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethmellie/pseuds/Ethmellie
Summary: No one knows to this day what happened to the wondrous and thriving Emerald City that was ruined by a bloody war.Until eighteen years later.Prince Wong Hendery of Polera becomes curious of the once great city after reading so many theories and stories of it. Especially about their dragons that willingly protected and lived with them. A new quest begins to bloom within his mind, wanting to learn who really destroyed Emerald City.Liu YangYang has lived inside a cave for eighteen years with his small family of Dragons. Kun, the head dragon, has forbidden him from ever entering the city of Polera for many reasons he does not want to tell to their youngest yet, thinking he's not ready to hear them.Until one day he lets him.And at last, two different worlds meet, not knowing what fate has in store for them both.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Moon Taeil, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Liu Yang Yang/Wong Kun Hang | Hendery, Qian Kun/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 44
Kudos: 148





	1. YangYang

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This will be my very first multi-chaptered story! I finally decided on an AU and I'm really excited to get deeper into things and share my writing! This fic is inspired by this [AU](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb/status/1135574832886833152)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and please leave some kudos & comments if you enjoyed it! Thank you!

The Massacre of Emerald City. 

It was said to be one of the darkest and deadliest nights in the history of wars. 

Emerald City was known for its great people and thriving economy. They were also known for one more thing; The Emerald citizens could ride dragons. 

Dragons were mysterious beings. They were known to be some sort of hybrid that could shape-shift into the body of a human if it was deemed necessary, but it happened rarely and everyone thought it to be a rumor. They also hid in deep caves, afraid of the outside world and what kind of harm could come to them. Reason why not many scholars knew about their biology and had "facts" about them based on experiences and stories of others who caught a glimpse of them.

However, a greedy king had sought them out, wanting to use their strength and wondrous abilities for power, but then the king of Emerald City was able to free them. 

To show appreciation, the dragons decided to protect the city. At first, both the citizens and the dragons were wary of each other, but once the head dragon and king were seen flying together, tensions began to dissipate. 

And so after years of dragons protecting and living with the humans peacefully, everything seemed as wonderful as paradise. 

Until on a horrible dark night, war was suddenly waged on them. 

No one survived. Not a human. Not a dragon. Not even the Earth that held the once beautiful and legendary city. 

No one knows to this day what happened for such a magnificent city to fall to ashes in hours.

And no one knows who waged war on them.

That is until eighteen years later, two young men would discover the true reason for the death of Emerald City and bring justice to its unknown attackers.

But would anyone believe two stupid, young, naive boys?

~

"Ugh! Seriously? You burnt my hair yesterday, why did you have to do it again today?!" 

_"Because, my little sheep, you keep bothering me when I'm clearly trying to ignore you and enjoy the rest of my sleep!"_

"You sleep all day! Even sometimes more than Sicheng-ge and he sleeps like he's in a coma!" 

_"Hey!"_

_"Alright, alright! What's all the fuss this morning. And might I add, very earlier than usual."_

Both the sleek black dragon and young boy, who's hair was looking crispier than it did yesterday, started to shout their complaints to the head dragon who shook his head at the two, looking like he was about to start off his day with a heavy migraine.

"Ten-ge burned my hair _again_ , because I was trying to get him to come with me to the forest! You always said to bring someone with me when I head out there in case of any hunters. Isn't that right, _Ten-ge_?" 

YangYang mocked the older dragon by putting his hands on his hips and leaning forward to get closer to Ten's _much_ bigger face, who's pupils were slits in his sharp green eyes.

_"Look here you little twerp! You could have taken anyone out there with you, but I know you only chose me cuz you just looooovee to get on my fuckin-"_

_"Language, Ten!"_ Kun reprimanded the black dragon, spitting out a small blue fireball in his direction, landing on his shoulder and dissipating when it touched his cool black scales, not even making a mark. 

_"-freaking nerves! I took you out yesterday, why does it have to be me again today, huh?"_

"Cuz you're the only one that lets me get close to the cit-" YangYang's words were suddenly shushed when he was harshly pushed down by the black dragon, but it was already too late to take back what he had said. 

_"What! Ten, you let him go to the city?"_

The white dragon was now fully awake and alert, fear and anxiety passing through their minds like fog.

_"No!...I just let him get close to it. Y'know, to watch from afar. He's never gone IN the city."_

Kun stood up from the cave ground, anger spiking through his usually calm ice blue eyes, but today it was just pure anger. Ten, however, stood his ground, not one bit afraid of their clan leader. 

It was probably from them being the same age. 

_"There's a reason why I don't want him going into or even near the city, Ten. You know exactly why and you still let him do it."_

_"Kun, it's been eighteen years! And besides, he's not a dragon! He's a human! They're not gonna know he's been taken care of by dragons his whole life just by looking at him. He'll be okay."_

Before Kun could argue back, he felt the youngest put a hand on him and when he looked down, he could see the worry in usually mischievous green eyes.

"Kun-ge, please. I'm eighteen, I'm not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself and I can always have someone with me, just in case I do end up being in danger. I-I can't stay in the cave and forests any longer. I wanna see other humans and explore the city. Kun-ge please?"

When Kun looked back up at Ten, he immediately rolled his eyes at the 'see, I told you' look the black dragon was giving him. He sighed, maybe it was finally time for him to go and explore world.

But only the city for now. And with someone beside him at ALL times. 

_"Okay...you can go and explore the city, BUT only when you have someone with you at all times."_

YangYang cheered, a bright smile overtaking his face. Worries no longer on his mind, instead it was replaced with excitement of what he would get to see and taste and smell and touch and everything in between.

He hugged the white dragon's legs tightly and then the black dragon's legs who pretended to be disgusted by the affection and wiggle out of the human's embrace, not wanting to show his happiness at seeing their youngest so excited to be able to go to the city. 

_"Okay you little twerp, let go of me now and go see your city. And no, I am not going with you this time since I already took you out yesterday. Ask Sichengie or the star-crossed lovers to take you."_

Before YangYang could ask Sicheng, the silver dragon turned his back to them, silently giving them his answer. 

The star-crossed lovers it was then. 

YangYang ran deeper in the cave, going into a tunnel to find the room where Yukhei and Jungwoo slept in. 

Yukhei and Jungwoo were mates. Two years ago, when they were going on their annual flight to the Floating Domes, they suddenly heard a shriek that was unmistakably dragon. A very hurt and captured dragon.

Wanting to help the dragon, both Kun, Yukhei, and Ten went down into some hidden dungeons in their human forms, determined to free their fellow dragon, while Sicheng stayed behind to protect YangYang if something were to go wrong. 

Thankfully, nothing happened and they were successful in freeing Jungwoo, who was very scared and hurt at the time. His clan had been found and murdered in front of his eyes and since he was considered the runt, the humans decided to just make him a weapon for war. 

When Jungwoo had begun to get better, him and Yukhei were glued to the hip as if they were friends all their lives. And in the end, they ended up becoming mates and annoying the rest of their small clan with with their cheesy declarations of love and inappropriate mating sessions throughout the large cave. 

When YangYang entered the small room, he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that they were just in their dragon forms, a soft sunset orange colored dragon being cuddled by a bigger sky blue dragon. 

With renewed eagerness, YangYang walked over to Jungwoo to gently shake his head to wake him. 

"Woo-ge, wake up."

A small questioning chirp fell from the orange dragon's mouth, making YangYang smile on how cute it sounded. 

"Wake up, I have something to tell you." 

He was now looking at two sleepy amber eyes, which blinked slowly at him. Jungwoo raised his head and sat up while letting out a big yawn before smacking his lips together and looking down at the youngest. 

_"What is it, little sheep?"_

"We're going to the city today!" YangYang shouted out, not being able to contain his excitement any longer. It ended up waking up the blue dragon who's eyes widened when he realized what the youngest had said and began to share his excitement as well. 

_"Oh my gods! We get to eat new foods! Woo let's go!"_

When Yukhei suddenly shifted into his human body and hurrying to get ready while YangYang ran out the room to go get his things ready as well, Jungwoo just sat there confused at everything that had occurred in that past minute. 

_"But aren't we forbidden from entering the city?"_

No reply back. 

So with that, Jungwoo shrugged and shifted, beginning to get ready as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some info for the story: 
> 
> When the dialogue is in italics, it means they're speaking telepathically (in their minds) 
> 
> And yes, YY's eyes are GREEN! Very important detail for the story so keep that in mind


	2. Hendery

"Now as you can see here, the river crosses through these mountains and creates a lake that ends right here. Now, can you explain to me how-your highness? Your highness, surely you aren't sleeping right now?" 

A light snore responded back. 

Then suddenly a loud book slamming onto the table startled the sleeping prince awake, disoriented and a bit of drool clinging to his lips that he hastily wiped away with his sleeve. 

"Y-yes? You were saying something? About the...uh...the? Oh! The creation of east Qinam?" 

The tutor sighed heavily accompanied with a roll of his eyes. "That was two hours ago, your highness. We are now on the study of inland waters. Rivers, lakes, wetlands. Do you know what that is called, your highness?" 

"Um...water...ology?"

Another heavy sigh. "Limnology. Why don't we stop here for today, your highness hm?" 

Hendery quickly stood up from his chair, a bright gleam in his eyes at his tutor finishing lessons a bit early today. "Yes! I mean...yes Mr. Kim. I think today that the lesson should be a good rest stop. And maybe start on a more...interesting subject?" 

The excitement that began to fill in the young prince's features gave the tutor a bit of excitement as well. And so with a defeated but fond sigh, the tutor beckoned the prince closer to his desk to show him what else he had found on his "interesting subject". 

Hendery gave a little excited squeal and scrambled over to his tutor's desk, dumping all his filled notebooks and old textbooks. He started to open and set everything up while Mr. Kim sat down on his leather chair and began to inspect the new details and notes added. 

"Okay so last night I didn't get a wink of sleep-" 

"Is that why you decided to take a nap through my lesson?" 

"Forget about your lesson, this is more important!" 

The tutor huffed out a laughed and gestured for the prince to continue. 

"Alright! So, we know that Emerald City apparently was destroyed within hours, yes?" 

"Yes."

"But, what if it wasn't actually destroyed?"

"Your highness, they found remains of bodies all around the area of where the battle took place." 

"Yes they did, but," Hendery then began to unfold a large map of what Emerald City used to be onto the desk and circle his finger over it, "why weren't there any ruins?" 

The tutor stayed silent. 

"If a castle as big as Emerald City's was destroyed by a war, there should be as least ruins. Some jewelry, homes, household items, weapons. But according to all the reports and books I've read on this great city, there were none. Can a war really do that to an entire land?" 

"What do you suppose really happened then?" 

The prince leaned down to turn to a specific page on his notebook, and when he found it, he pointed to an empty space on a map that was circled in black ink.

"They're hiding it. And for a very important reason too." 

"And what would that reason be?" 

"They wanted the dragons." 

Mr. Kim scoffed. "You don't really think the dragon myth was true, do you?" 

"Ah-ah! Just because you haven't seen something, doesn't mean it's not true. And besides, it makes sense! The king that had captured the dragons from their homes and tried to make them as war machines would want them back right? So, he declares war on the city that freed them!" 

Mr. Kim shook his head at his student. "The Rubenia king was jealous. Emerald city rose up from dirt and then later becomes the great city of the nation. He destroyed it out of jealousy. And besides there isn't proof that dragons did really exist. Only the citizens would know if dragons were real, but they can't tell anyone that because all the citizens were murdered." 

Hendery shot his index finger up, stopping his tutor from speaking any further. "But what if there are survivors. It happened eighteen years ago! So recent and everyone talks about it as if it happened a million of years ago. Or sometimes that it's, as you say, a myth or not even real at all. They're trying to hide it! And do you know why?" 

Seeing his student smile smugly made him not want to actually answer, but knew it would be futile since he would find out the answer anyway. 

"Why?"

"Because Rubenia is now the greatest nation ever. As if Emerald City didn't exist. And we all know Rubenia is very intimidating with their endless acres of land and plethora of emotionless soldiers and weapons. They're trying to hide what really happened that night and they might have threatened others to keep quiet about it." 

The look of consideration began to spread on the tutor's face, his hand under his chin and brows furrowed thinking of the possibilities of what could have been. 

"You may be right, no one wants to speak about the events if you ask them about it." 

"See! Rubenia is trying to cover their tracks! But then again, no one will willingly point their fingers since they don't wanna be in a war." 

The prince groaned in defeat and dramatically draped himself over the desk, a few papers flying off and pencils rolling. Mr. Kim chuckled at his student's antics, catching a pencil in mid air when it fell off the desk. 

Placing the pencil back in a cup holder, he then spoke. "Why is this so important to you, your highness, if you don't mind me asking." 

Hendery raised his head and slowly sat up, not even once looking at his tutor in the face. Memories of beautiful green eyes and long black hair filled his mind, stories, soft singing, and a sad promise coming to the front of what he remembered as a child. 

_I promised her I would find the truth_ , the prince thought sadly. His heart felt like it was being squeezed and so to not alarm his tutor of his oncoming tears, he turned his head to the clock on the wall and shut one of the textbooks, startling the bunny faced tutor. 

"Because, I wanna know if Emerald City was real or not. Now! It is about to be lunch time and I really can't be late or my father will have my head. Thank you again for hearing my new findings, and I'll see you again tomorrow, Mr. Kim!" 

As he was explaining, he quickly packed all of his papers, notebooks, and textbooks back into his satchel, keeping his head down and then swiftly exited the room, not once looking back to see if he left anything behind. 

Once he was a good distance away, he reached into his pocket to bring out a delicate gold necklace with an oval locket in the middle. A rose was engraved in it and when he moved it in the sunlight, it shone like liquid drops of sun on the nearby walls. 

As he popped it open, he sighed in relief to see the small green shimmering scale nestled inside.

He gripped the locket closed and remembered the exact words that made him so obsessed with finding the city in the first place. 

_"My home was murdered under the hands of a greedy king. One day, you need to find the truth and uncover their dirty hidden secrets so one day my home can be reborn again. Promise me you will?"_

_"I will, Mama."_

_"That's my baby."_

He was going to find the truth one day. Even it if killed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please leave some kudos & comments if you did! 
> 
> Also my Twitter: [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	3. YangYang

"Mmm! Wow! Woo, you have to try these moon cakes! They're so good!" 

When said male heard his name, he began to approach the taller, his mouth opening to say something, but it was immediately stuffed with the sweet treat, his eyes widening at the sudden intrusion of the pastry. 

YangYang laughed at the way the orange haired male, covered in a hooded cape, as well as Yukhei, so their odd hair colors wouldn't alarm anyone of what they actually were, made a noise of surprise and began to steal Yukhei's bag of moon cakes, eliciting protests from the taller dragon. "Hey! Those were mine." 

"They're mine now," Jungwoo said with a sly smirk, beginning to walk away from his mate, while coolly popping another moon cake into his mouth, ignoring the way the other began to whine. 

Before he could lose sight of them, YangYang asked for two more bags of the treats, and once he got them, he payed the seller and thanked him kindly before walking off towards the other two who were now sharing the bag. 

_Better hide these bags before they eat all of these too_ , he thought, placing the bags of treats in his pack. 

As he joined his brothers to sit on the edge of the large village fountain, he looked around at the new sight that he thought he'd never get used to.

The city of Polera was enormous! 

The kingdom was even more beautiful up close than the small peaks he would get from the forest. He could fully see the castle and the village up close and even get to see, try, and taste new and wonderful things. Even if he was just exploring a small portion of the kingdom, it was still exciting to be able to leave the cave for a whole day.

The castle was on top of a large hill, shining brightly with its black and blue bricks and white marble paint and sculptures of past kings and heroes standing tall like pillars, holding up the entrance to the castle. There were many stairs leading up to it and from seeing others going up and up and up...he figured it was better to just stay down in the village for now. From what he knew so far of the royal family, it was only the king and the prince currently residing in the palace, not really knowing what happened to the queen. 

The kingdom, he dare say, was even _more_ beautiful. The colorful blue, green, yellow, and white cobbled streets lit up like fireflies in the night, bright and cheerful, even more so than the sun. There was a street filled with different kinds of vendors from all over the continent. They sold different types of fabric from wool to cotton to even the finest of silk, jewelry that glittered gorgeously in the sunlight with pendants that were sized from the smallest speck of dust to the biggest boulder you've ever seen, oh and the food! Don't even get him started on the food!

From living in a cave for soooo long, you only really get a small variety of foods, maybe even a surprise treat once every century. So imagine the surprise to them three when the influx of new and delicious smells hit their noses. 

To say they went crazy is an understatement.

Egg tarts, boazis, dumplings, scallion pancakes, char siu, tofu pudding, moon cakes and so many more snacks and foods that made the three go nuts with all the different types of spices, and smells that were introduced to their noses.

They ended up having a picnic on a green and clear meadow overlooking a part of the village. There was not a crumb or morsel left on their plates, stomachs fully sated and content. 

After they had gotten over their food comas, they decided to bring some back for the others, buying a basket and placing the food in there so they wouldn't have to be carrying everything and accidentally dropping something. 

After they had explored some more of the village and gotten a few more things from the vendors, they decided it was finally time to go back when the sun began to set. 

A sudden gust of wind blew in their faces, Jungwoo's hood of his cape falling back and exposing his head of orange hair that was _definitely_ not a normal hair color for humans. Quickly, both YangYang and Yukhei pulled his hood back up, looking around to see if anyone saw him, relaxing once again when no one seemed to have noticed. 

When they were back on the road that led them to their home, they began to reminisce over the events of the day. 

"Ahhh, today was a great day. I'm still surprised Kun-ge even let you go, especially with us" Jungwoo began, intertwining his hand with Yukhei's, who smiled at the gesture. YangYang began to gag, making obnoxious noises that earned him a whine and a gentle punch to the arm.

He laughed. "It was actually my choice to pick you two. Ya'll were the last option." 

Yukehi gasped dramatically, clutching at his chest as if he'd just been shot. "What? Well, actually if I'm being honest, I'd pick us last as well, but I'm glad we ended up being the last option or else we wouldn't have experienced this," he gestured to the kingdom. 

"And I wouldn't have been able to get...this," with a dramatic bow towards Jungwoo, Yukhei gracefully pulled out a flaming orange rose from his back pocket and presented it to his mate, who gasped with glee at the beautiful flower. 

YangYang gagged some more and rolled his eyes playfully at the two. And before he could make a snarky comment about Yukhei putting the rose in Jungwoo's ear, something had caught his eye. 

Well more like someone. 

A boy wearing an all black attire with a dark hooded cape was that someone that caught his eye. He was sneakily hiding behind the walls of brick houses and stores whenever he saw guards walking nearby. He had an old leather satchel slung around his upper body, gripping it protectively whenever he would run to his next hiding spot. 

And when he began to run again-

He was caught!

A guard that had hidden behind an alleyway, had jumped out and grabbed the boys arm, yanking him back before he could slip from the guard's fingers. When the boy began to struggle, he was suddenly pushed down onto the cobblestones, loose papers and pencils flying from his satchel, papers being cruelly stepped on by muddy boots. 

Before he could think, YangYang ran. 

He ran down from the uphill road that led to the mountain. He ignored the protests from his brothers and just ran. His legs pumped even faster when he saw that the guard's began to taunt the boy, even going as far as stepping on his hand when he reached for one of the loose papers. 

And when he was finally within touching distance of the guards and the boy, he didn't think, he just acted. 

He swiftly kicked one of the guards from under his feet, landing on his ass and groaning when his head hit the hard cobblestones. And before the other one could figure out what was happening, he landed a hard right hook to his cheek and then a firm punch to the gut that blew his breath away. 

The boy had just stared in wonder and confusion, startling when papers were suddenly shoved into his hands. YangYang didn't waste any time pulling the boy up from the ground and running with a hand on his wrist, taking him to more secure hiding spot from anymore guards walking around. 

After he was sure they were safely hidden from mean asshole guards from behind a patch of overgrown grass, he then began to laugh. 

The boy just started at him with bulging eyes, trying to shush him and tell him that they could still get caught. 

"Why are you even laughing!"

"Because!" He laughed some more, "did you see how I kicked those guy's asses! I handed it to them on a silver plate. That was so awesome! Hoo, I am definitely taking more combat lessons from Sicheng-ge from now on, they so help in these types of situations."

Then the boy began to laugh too, joining in. 

After what seemed like a lifetime just laughing at what had occurred, the boy pulled down his hood and stuck out his hand, a gentle smile on his lips. 

"Thanks, for what you did back there. I'm Hendery." 

YangYang decided to pull down his hood as well, bringing his hand to Hendery's. 

"I'm YangYang. And no worries. Those guys deserved it anyway." 

A ray from the mostly hidden moon caught in YangYang's eye, making it shine like a jade pendant. 

Hendery's face suddenly went still. And pale. He then slowly pointed to his eyes, words not being able to come out fast enough until he whispered lowly and almost as if frightened, "your eyes." 

YangYang raised a confused eyebrow. "My eyes...what about them?" 

The black haired boy suddenly began to ruffle through his satchel, pulling out an old journal that was ready to just give up holding together from the looks of it. He hastily flipped through the pages until he was finally on the one he had been looking for. 

He mouthed the words that were on the pages and looked up quickly with wide eyes at the younger, startling him with how spooked he looked. 

"You...you're from Emerald City."


	4. Hendery

"From where now?" 

Hendery couldn't believe it. 

Him. The boy. YangYang. His eyes. 

It was just too much to comprehend. 

He looked back to his crinkling pages, passing his finger under the words that were written in fine ink, repeating the information in his head again and again. 

_Citizens born from the earth of Emerald City came in many shapes, sizes, forms, colors, and so much more. However, one distinct feature was always graced upon them as infants; their eyes were green. Greener than the grasses from the heavens, shining like gemstones in the sun or moonlight, even creatures with the natural color were inferior to the beautiful eye color the citizens possessed._

"Look! Read here! Only citizens born in Emerald City have green eyes." 

The boy, YangYang his mind reminded, looked at him with a skeptical look then looked down at the pages that were shoved unceremoniously in his face. 

His eyes passed over the words and with a blank stare back the prince, he said, "I can't read." 

"See! You-what?" 

"I. Can't. Read." His eyes seemed to harden, as if daring the prince to make a comment about it. 

"Oh. I'm sorry...I shouldn't have assumed...Would you like me to read it for you, if it's okay with you?" 

With a sighing nod, he dropped down onto the grass, crossing his legs under him and motioning for him to continue. As the prince read out the excerpt, YangYang looked even more confused. 

When he finished, he began to get bombarded with questions. 

"Wait! Wait. So you're telling me that I'm from this mythical city just because my eyes are green?" 

"Yes!" 

"That's some bullshit! I've never heard of this city and besides, don't a million of people all over the land have green eyes?" 

"No. Where else have you seen that people have green eyes?" 

When the other didn't respond, he snapped his fingers and a knowing smirk grew on his face. "Exactly! All the citizens that were born there were killed and you seem to be the only surviving descendant." 

Realization dawned upon the prince. "Oh my gods! You're the ONLY surviving descendant! That means it IS real! It's not a myth! I mean, psh, I knew it wasn't but then again I did have my doubts, but then I didn't because I-"

A hand was suddenly covering his mouth and before he could protest, he turned to the other to see him with a finger over his lips. He pointed to his ears, gesturing for him to listen and when he did, he heard the heavy footsteps of guard boots and light grumbling. 

"Where do you suppose he is? If we don't find the prince tonight, the king will have all of our heads." 

"Don't worry, we'll find him, he couldn't have gone too far. He's been pampered all his life, he wouldn't last a second out here without his comfy bed and maids to do all his bidding. Now c'mon, lets go search over there." 

After making sure they were really gone and weren't near enough to hear them, the prince spoke again. "Okay, so I need to know where your parents are from and also if I could somehow speak with them. I know this is pushing it a bit but-"

"I'm an orphan and I know you're the prince." 

Silence spread over them, both boys just staring at each other. A cricket slicing the air of quiet in the nighttime. 

"Well, at least we got the prince stuff outta the way, am I right," Hendery joked, nudging his arm against YangYang, who continued to just stare. 

"Please don't tell anyone." 

"I won't unless you tell me what all this Emerald City crap is about. And why I'm so important to your obvious search for it." 

Hendery sighed while putting his journal away in his satchel. "Okay, I'll tell you everything if you promise not to tell anyone and also give me vital information on my research that could help me find out more about Emerald City." 

"Okay, liiike?"

"Like more people with green eyes, books that have more information about the city, maybe some information about dragons, or like a symbol that-"

"I could probably, most likely, give you information about dragons." 

"Yes that would be perf-wait, how?"

YangYang shrugged, a evil looking smile making its way on his face. "Let's just say I have connections." 

"Are they real?" 

"Yeah." 

Hendery's hand immediately went to his pocket, shoulders sagging when feeling the familiar item inside the fabric. He looked back up the boy and squinted his eyes, not knowing whether to trust his word so easily or try to get more proof from him. 

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" 

He raised his hands up in surrender, a smile still gracing his lips. "I'm not giving you anymore information until you explain to me all of this. And before we continue this conversation, I think we should go hide somewhere else before those guys find us." 

YangYang pointed to something behind Hendery and when he turned around, his heart leapt painfully into his throat. More guards riding horses, others leading hounds, others raising lit torches and lamps began to scatter throughout the village, not giving up in finding the prince. 

"Yeah, we should probably go."

The boy grabbed a hold of the prince's hand, and pulled him up making sure he was still ducked down so he wouldn't be seen behind the tall grass. 

"Follow me. I know where to hide" he whispered.

Once they made sure there weren't any guards around, they ran. 

Maybe it was really stupid of him to blindly follow this kid, but at this point he had no choice. It was either getting caught by the guards and dragged back to the castle where he would definitely get an earful from his father or getting more answers to the mystery he's been chasing since he was a child. 

Especially finding out more answers from a kid with green eyes. 

Once they made it to a secluded part of the uphill forest, they both stopped behind a boulder to catch their breath and make sure they weren't being followed. 

After a few minutes of being bent over and swallowing lungfuls of air, the brunette began to speak. "Alright, so, before we begin-"

Then he stopped. His mouth closed shut, a blank look on his face. Hendery stood up right, not taking his eyes off the shorter, wondering why the heck he stopped talking. 

He then turned around as if looking for someone, making gestures that continued to confuse Hendery even more. 

"Um...what are you doing?" 

"Huh?" The boy turned back around to see that Hendery was still there. "Oh! Sorry, I was...thinking! Yeah, thinking about what...we should do next?" He scratched his head, looking as confused as the prince felt. 

"Okaaaaayy, but I still have to explain to you what Emerald City is and I haven't been able to do that." 

"Uh huh..." he was now staring at the ground with a concentrated look on his face, a hand behind his neck and the other on his hip. 

"Um, are you okay? You keep...looking off."

When the boy shook his head as if clearing his mind, he looked back up at the prince and pressed his lips together in a line. 

"How about we find each other tomorrow?" 

"What?"

He looked up at the moon behind Hendery and pointed to it. "It's getting late and I'll get grounded if I'm not home soon. Is there some place that we could meet tomorrow actually?" As he continued to speak, he began to tighten his cloak around his shoulders, pulling the brown hood up over his head, walking backwards.

"You said you were an orphan." 

"Actually, why don't I just find you tomorrow? Sound good? Okay great, see you prince!" 

Before Hendery could say anything else or even stop the kid, he was gone. The younger being able to blend in easier in the night with the cloud covered moon. 

_What a weird kid_ , he thought, scratching his head at the events that had occurred. 

With a heavy sigh, he looked over the village with the still searching guards. 

_What am I to do? What am I to do?_

A stern bunny looking face popped up into his head. _He would hide me for the time being!_

Making sure he had everything and his hood was placed over his face to cover it, he made his way down the forest and sneakily weaved in between the brick buildings to find the house of his tutor. 

_He's gonna kill me for this._

But it didn't matter. He had finally found proof that Emerald City was real and he was going to show the world what really happened to it.


	5. Hendery

Let's just say the next day wasn't pretty. 

Hendery had been able to locate his tutor's home that same night (it's right behind the palace, hidden not too deep in the forest so the tutor could could walk to and back when lessons were over for the day) and when he happily, but hastily, knocked on the door, a short man opened it instead. 

Hendery was confused to say the least. He looked around, wanting to make sure he didn't make a wrong turn, but after confirming that no, this was still the same road to the same small house with the same blue mailbox out in the front that belonged to his tutor's, he turned his head to direct his attention once again on the short man. 

Who was still staring at him with expectant eyes. 

"Can I help you with something, your highness?" 

"Uh...how do you know me? Wait! No! I mean...who are you?" 

"I asked you a question first." 

"So you did..." Hendery didn't know how to proceed from there. 

The short man huffed out a small amused laugh, and stepped aside for the prince, gesturing for him to enter the house. "C'mon in. Doyoung will probably want to know why you're here. In the meantime, want anything to drink?" 

As the prince slowly walked in, looking around to see if his tutor was in the cozy living area, he realized what the man had said. 

"Doyoung? I thought his first name was Mister." 

Another delightful laugh followed. "Wait till he hears that one. But, you still didn't answer my question." 

"Oh! Sorry, where are my manners? Water, please." As the man poured water into small black cup and placed it in front of him, he had begun to note down all that happened into his journal, not wanting to forget any single detail. 

His heart still pounded with the idea that yes, he had met an Emerald City citizen. And dragons could potentially be real. And he was one step closer to finding the truth and either the ruins or a hidden civilization. 

"I should've known you were here about to talk about the great Emerald City." 

Hendery, interrupted out of his thoughts, looked back up to see the man sitting across from him with an identical steaming mug in his hands and a plate of cookies next to it.

"Did Mr. Kim tell you?" 

"Yes. He's always talking about it too. If you ask me, he's a bit hypocritical for complaining that that's all you spend your time on, when in reality he's just as obsessed." 

"Right! That's what I tell him, but he always gives excuses like 'I'm not obsessed like you are" or "you should be focusing more on your studies rather than old cities" that kind of bull-" 

"Hey my love, I'm back-" 

Both the man and Hendery turned to the kitchen back door, to see the bunny faced tutor, or as the man likes to call him, Doyoung, walk in with a basket full of lavender and other plants, stopping in his tracks to stare at the prince with wide eyes. 

"W-what are you doing here, your highness?" 

Hendery gave him a small wave, not liking the awkward silenced that followed when he walked in. "Heeeey Mr. Kim. Can you believe it? I just found out you have a first name, how weird is tha-"

"Quit stalling." 

"Okay, I found living proof that Emerald City is real..." 

Stunned silence. 

"Also, who's he, cause he let me in and I don't know if he's related to you, or are y'all friends? Because-"

"Quit talking when there's silence, I need to process everything and no, he's my husband. Taeil, my love, meet prince Hendery, and your highness, meet my husband, Taeil." 

"Hello!" Hendery wouldn't admit it, but the smile and cute wave the man-Taeil- did made the younger just want to hug him and never let go. _How adorable!_ He waved back, just to let the awkwardness leave a little. 

"I didn't know you had a husband. How come you never told me?" 

Mr. K-Doyoung, sat down, basket handed to Taeil who walked to another part of the house that Hendery couldn't see, not minding since he wanted to tell his tutor what he saw and heard first, information ready to leak out like a dam. 

"Well, because you're just my student, your highness. With all due respect, I don't really think you need to know about my home. Speaking of home, how did you know where I live?"

"I one time followed you home as a kid cause I wanted to know where you live if I ever wanted to run away." 

"You followed me? Of cour-Wait! Is that why you're here? You ran away!?" 

Seeing the panicked look in his tutor's eyes made Hendery wince, but he quickly calmed him down. "Noooo! Well...I won't tell you, but listen! I came here to tell you what I found out today-" 

"Is that why all the guards were out, searching the town? My gods Hendery! Do you know how much trouble you've gotten into? Your father will have your head and possibly MINE, because they'll probably think I hid you here."

"You won't get into trouble, I promise. I'll vouch for you. But please, listen to what I have to say, I need your help with what I should do next." Hendery had grabbed Doyoung by the arms and looked him straight in the eyes with a pleading look. "Please" he added. After a silent, contemplating moment, the man sighed, closing his eyes and nodding his head. 

"Alright...hit me with what you found." 

With a triumphant 'yes', Hendery started to tell his occurrence that had happened about an hour ago. Doyoung listened carefully, taking in the young prince's words with utmost care. They had ended up making more ideas and theories that had had them up all night, neither of the two caring if the prince was gone from the palace and that the sun had risen from the depths of the earth. 

When Taeil had awoken, he was startled to see his husband and the prince sleeping soundly in the living area, one on the couch and the other on the floor with a book over his face. He smiled adoringly, shaking his head at the two and also at all the papers, books, pencils, and maps ridden across every flat surface of their small house.

He sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, better get started on breakfast." 

But before he could walk towards the kitchen, a heavy knock was heard from the front door. Not paying any mind to it, he quietly opened it, only to be met with a palace guard uniform, the wearer looking down at him with emotionless eyes. 

"On behalf of the king, we are enabled to search your house for the missing prince. Any objection will lead to imprisonment for defying the king's orders. Am I being clear?" the guard explained, voice loud and deep, booming like waves crashing against rocks from the sea, intimidating Taeil a bit.

But before Taeil could utter a word, a hand was placed on his shoulder, gently pushing aside. 

"No need. I'm here, so you can leave them alone. Let me just gather my things and you can take my back to my father." 

Like it was said before, the next day wasn't very pretty. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	6. YangYang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood

Let's just say that night wasn't very pretty. 

"WHY!" 

The cave shook with a massive booming voice that echoed throughout the rocky walls, small pebbles falling from the ceiling, hitting poor bystander Sicheng on the head who covered it with his huge silver wing. 

However, Yukhei, Jungwoo, and YangYang did not move an inch. 

After YangYang had ran off to help Hendery escape the guards, Yukhei and Jungwoo panicked, not knowing what to do, so they went back to the cave to tell Kun what had happened. When they had gone out searching for him, YangYang was, fortunately, within distance to hear them calling out for him to return home. So begrudgingly, he went back up the mountain to be met with a very angry and very _human_ Kun, whose ice blue eyes seemed to be flaming white with how angry he was. 

Oh boy. 

"I cannot BELIEVE you three," he started, the three boys flinching in unison, heads low as to not anger Kun even more by staring him in the eyes, "you two lost YangYang and you! You ran off and for what! I just-what the hell was I supposed to do if you had been thrown in their dungeon! Huh? What, YangYang? Gods! I am just at a loss for words!" 

But despite being at a loss for words, Kun yelled at them for the next 10 minutes. 

It had been way past everyone's bedtime when Ten decided they had had enough torture and intervened. It took him awhile, but he finally got the oldest to calm down, breathe, and even get Kun to apologize to the three about how he yelled at them. 

"Even though I am sorry, I still want you all to know that you're all grounded. No going out of the cave for a week. Do you understand me?" 

"Yes Kun-ge," they all said together, heads still down in shame and a bit of fear. 

"Good. Now it's very late and you all had a busy day today so I suggest you go rest. Except for you YangYang, I still need to speak with you." 

Containing the urge to groan about being exhausted, he instead gave a meek nod, not wanting to disturb the calm, but still a bit tense, air that surrounded the head dragon. When everyone had gone to their "rooms" (they were really just big holes in the caves that acted as their rooms), Kun put a firm hand on the youngest's shoulder, making him tense up. 

"Look at me." 

YangYang raised his head to meet warm eyes, despite them being murderous a few minutes earlier. 

"Please explain to me why you ran off? You knew it was time to go home, did you not?" 

"I did! But..." 

"But?" 

"There was this boy...he was getting pushed around by some palace guards and I didn't like seeing him like that so I went down to help him. Then I figured out that he was...the prince." He glanced up at the older, not knowing if his twitching eye was a trick of the light or not. Most likely not. 

"Then he said something about my eyes."

Kun let his hand slip from the boy's shoulder, eyes now looking everywhere but him. YangYang knew this was something he did when he knew something, but didn't want to tell anyone. He was hiding something. A secret. 

"Kun-ge...have you ever heard about something called the Emerald City?" 

"N-no, why do you ask?" 

"You stuttered." 

"No, I didn't." 

"Kun-ge, don't lie to me. I'm not a kid anymore."

Suddenly, a cold gust of wind smacked YangYang across the face, making him recoil and wrap his arms around himself, trying to keep warm with all the sudden goosebumps that appeared. When he turned back around, Kun had already transformed back into his heavenly white dragon form, eyes dark and serious, no room for questioning. 

_"I think you should go to bed now. You must be tired, little sheep. Good night."_

"Kun-ge, wait-" 

_"Go to bed."_ And with those final words, he flew off to his room, flying high into the cave to settle down in the lookout hole in the mountain, gone from the youngest's sight. 

The boy sighed, kicking a stray rock angrily, not understanding why the head dragon refused to talk to him about anything important that was related to his past. _Guess I'll just have to find out myself,_ he thought, a certain raven haired boy coming to his mind. 

~

The next morning, before anyone could wake up to the sounds of birds chirping happily and the sun rising over the land, YangYang ran down the mountain. The grass had become slippery with the morning dew so he had ended up tripping over his feet a lot, but that didn't stop his legs to keep on going. 

The sky was getting lighter every second and getting closer for the sun to rise. Closer to his family finding out that he had run away. 

His heart pounded with every step, sweat beading down his face, legs burning, arms pumping, and lungs feeling like they squeezed out every ounce of air from within him. He wasn't paranoid! Nope, definitely not!

When he finally saw the colorful cobblestones of the town, he sighed out a breath of relief and slowed down, getting ahold of a rock so he wouldn't accidentally slide down the rest of the way and face plant into the cobblestones. 

He put his hand to his side, trying to massage out the cramps that had started, chest heaving from the exertion. He pushed his damp hair away from his face, feeling accomplished and a bit scared at making it to the city. He could do this! All he needed to do was to find Hendery and get him to explain all this Emerald City stuff he wouldn't shut up about. 

He could also give him more answers than Kun could. 

After drinking water from the jug he had brought and had his breathing regulated, he began to take the road that led straight to the market, ready to begin searching for the prince, wondering if he'd be out this early or not. 

_Most likely not_ , he thought, looking at the sun beginning to spread happily over the land like the smile of baby. _Maybe, I could wait somewhere? How long do princes sleep in? Cause I usually wake up pretty early, but then again-_

"Hey!" 

A sudden hand grabbed his shoulder and without thinking, he drew back his elbow, hitting the person squarely in their face, the person exclaiming in surprise and pain. He turned around, ready to begin another round of ass-beating, but stopped when he saw the familiar black hair and worn out looking satchel. 

"Hendery?"

"Yes! Who else?" The per-Hendery said bitterly, clutching his face and nose, blood dripping down between his hands as he hastily tried to wipe it away while also nursing his, most likely, bruised face. YangYang, feeling bad about elbowing him, apologized profusely. 

"Here, lemme see it." He gingerly began removing the prince's hands from his face, wincing when he saw the damage that had been done. "Again, I'm _really_ sorry. I...I thought you were someone else." 

The other boy scoffed, rolling his eyes at the statement. "Yeah, I could tell. Ow...this really hurts." 

"Here, follow me, I know a creek near by. We could start by washing away all the blood first." 

"Yeah, I think that'd be for the best." 

As YangYang grabbed ahold of the other boy's wrist and led him down to the creek he mentioned, none of the boys noticed a pair of green slit eyes following their movement with an attentive and curious gaze. The figure then moved out from behind the cluster of trees and began to follow them as well. 


	7. Hendery

"Ow! That hurts!" 

"Yeah, I get that you big baby! Now quit moving, I barely cleaned off any of the blood." 

The pouting prince huffed, leaning forward again so the other boy could properly clean his face off without having to keep reaching over. He winced harshly when the damp cloth passed over his damaged nose. YangYang sensed him flinch and apologized, feeling guilty for his pain since he was the one that had caused it. 

After another painful minute of staying still and releasing small hisses of pain, YangYang finally deemed the cleaning up finished. Hendery sighed, grateful that the torture was finally over. When he looked over at the other boy, a finger was suddenly in his face, gingerly touching his nose. 

"Ow" he said emotionless and pathetically, YangYang continuing on to press down on his skin, ignoring him. His eyebrows were furrowed, forest green eyes focusing on the hurt part of his face. 

He looked...cute. To say the least. 

Hendery then flinched back from his own thoughts. _Did I just call him cute?!_

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to press it that hard." 

"N-no, you're fine. It didn't even hurt that much anyway." He turned his face away, mouthing to himself 'what the fuck' not knowing how to react or proceed from his previous thoughts. YangYang mumbled something from behind him and he turned around to see the other sighing while cleaning the rag in the creek, trying to scrub off the blood in the water.

"What did you say?" 

"I said that maybe I need to bring you back to my home. I think your nose is broken so maybe my ge-ge could check it out. And it could be another fascinating lesson for you to write down in that ugly journal of yours." 

Hendery made a scandalized face and noise, the other laughing in glee at his reaction. "It is NOT ugly and are you saying that I get to meet...the dragons?" 

"Maybe." 

Before Hendery could shout in excitement, loud and harsh voices began to echo throughout the trees, alarming the two boys and making them swivel their heads to where the noises were coming from. 

Hendery immediately recognized their voices. It was the palace guards. He shot up to his feet, alarming the other boy, and quickly shoved everything into his satchel, looking back over his shoulder to make sure they weren't in view yet. 

"We have to go. Now!" 

"Who are they?" 

"They're the guards. They're looking for me again. Now c'mon we have to go."

YangYang didn't waste anytime in getting up and following the prince through the trees, looking back over his shoulder, panic and worry making its way through his skin and heart. When the voices began to get louder and closer, they began to run. 

"Is there a place we can hide before we head to your home?" Hendery asked, looking over his shoulder every second, feeling like the guards were already right behind him, breathing down his neck, ready to drag him back to the palace walls.

"Um, I'm not really sure. There's not any other cave besides ours. Maybe we could-Ten?" 

Hendery turned his head, giving the other boy a confused look. "Ten?" 

"Wait shh." 

They both stopped in their tracks, the brunette looking around the area as if searching for something...or someone. 

The voices were a bit farther away now, but every moment they spent standing there like sitting ducks meant the guards were getting closer to finding them any second now. 

"YangYang we can't be standing here. The guards will find us any minute if we don't move now. Who are you-" 

"Do us all a favor and quit panicking please. It does nothing to help in tense situations." 

Hendery nearly jumped out of his skin, a smooth honey-like-voice spoke from behind them, making them turn their heads to see a short man walking towards them. Hendery's voice left him instantly, thoughts included, but the only word he could come up with was 'beautiful'. 

The man laughed beautifully, like chimes tinkling in the soft wind. He had short jet black hair, fair honey skin that looked smooth to the touch, small heart shaped lips with a small nose to match, a confident stride in his small but lithe body, and to top it off, he had sparkling green eyes with slit pupils like a cat's. 

_He is most definitely a dragon_ , thought Hendery, still not over his shock and mesmerized state at seeing the shorter man. 

"I feel flattered, I really do, but maybe now's not the time, since you both seem to be in a bit of a dilemma. Care for some help?" 

Hendery realized that he had called the other man 'beautiful' out loud, embarrassment beginning to fill him, cheeks heating up at how he rashly spoke out. _You're such an idiot,_ he mentally face palmed. 

"Ten, can you please stop your dramatic montage and help us please!" YangYang spoke to the other harshly. Ten, as YangYang seemed to call him, turned to the brunette with a scowl on his ethereal face and shoved him away lightly, getting a scowl in return. 

"Be grateful that I'm helping you, twerp. Now, both of you, hold onto me and don't make a sound. Got it?" 

Hendery nodded and listened immediately, placing his hand on Ten's shoulder without any complaint. They both turned to the brunette who rolled his eyes at both, reluctantly placing his hand on Ten's other shoulder. 

"Now remember. Not. A. Sound." 

The air around Ten suddenly began to shift and ripple around him. A clear rainbow bordered presence began to drape itself over their bodies, a pleasant chill running through Hendery's body. He didn't know exactly what Ten had done, but he could feel something otherworldly that probably his books back at the palace library couldn't explain. 

His fascination suddenly ceased when he began to hear the palace guards' voices again. They were now in view and it was a _big_ group looking for the missing prince. The head of the royal guard, Johnny, Hendery's mind reminded, was at the front of the group, ordering others to spread out more.

Guilt started to pick at him now, knowing that the king had probably sent everyone out on a wild goose chase to track him down. He didn't mean for everyone to begin panicking, he had just gotten so excited that he finally had a lead on something that he had been searching for for forever since he was a little kid. 

His body tensed when the guards were finally in front of them, walking past them as if they were nothing. As if they were invisible. 

_Invisible._

Hendery dared not to move or make a sound. His heart was pounding in his ears, a sheen of sweat covering his body, he didn't even dare to swallow, too afraid that by doing that, he would make the loudest noise ever that would alert the guards of their whereabouts. 

It felt like eternity for all the guards to finally be out of sight. Ten stayed still for a few more minutes until he walked away, letting both of their hands to drop away from where they were on his shoulders. Ten looked around some more to make sure the coast was clear before turning around to face both of the boys, one still a bit shaken up and the other crossing his arms and rolling his eyes as if waiting to be lectured. 

Ten turned to YangYang first. 

"You're grounded for a month." 

"Oh c'mon!" 

"Hush! And that's Kun's orders, not mine. Now as for you?" 

Hendery's eyes widened, looking back at the intimidating dragon, pointing to himself, making sure he was talking to him. "Me?" 

"Yes, you. I heard you're the prince wanting to know what happened to Emerald City. Am I correct?" 

"Y-yes! You are very correct...Mr. Dragon...sir...yeah." 

Ten chuckled and gave him a light punch to the shoulder. "You can call me Ten. And nice observing skills kiddo, that'll help you in the future. Now, why don't we head back to the cave so we can pry some answers out of the head dragon. And also to get you grounded-" 

"Seriously!" 

"-And to treat your nose." 

Ten leaned super close to the prince, who felt like his breath had left him at the close proximity, to start prodding at his nose, making him wince and hiss in pain. The shorter man pursed his lips and nodded. "Yep, most likely broken. Good job, little sheep. Sichengie should be proud." 

"I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not." 

"Up to you. Now as for you, little prince..." 

A mischievous cat-like-grin began to spread across the dragon's face, eyes beginning to glow a little in the sun rays splitting through the leaves of the tall forest trees. 

"Ever flown on a dragon before?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know it's been awhile and I honestly should have enough free time to write and stuff, but I think I've been hit with writer's block BUT I'll try to get through it! 
> 
> I'm really excited for the story to start picking up and also I wanna hear what you guys are thinking of the story so far! Thank you for reading and please leave some kudos & comments if you're enjoying it! 
> 
> Bye! :D
> 
> Twitter: [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	8. YangYang

"There there, take deep breaths. You're okay. You're alive." 

YangYang, in all honesty, felt _really_ bad about the situation, but he couldn't help but find it super hilarious too. 

When they had made sure that the guards were nowhere in sight and in hearing range, Ten transformed into the mighty black scaled beast, scaring the prince half to death, but also fascinating him as well, if the dreamy-eyed look was anything to go by.

YangYang climbed up on Ten's back with ease, the movement muscle memory by now by how many times he had already done it in his whole lifetime. However, it took the prince a bit of time to get up on the dragon's back. 

"Haven't you ever ridden a horse before?" YangYang asked with a scoff, a teasing smile on his lips. Hendery mockingly scoffed back, hands on his hips. "Yes! But they weren't dragon-sized the last time I remember. And they also didn't turn into humans too. Now, can you please help me up?" 

" _Can you both please hurry up, I think the guards are gonna turn back soon._ " Ten shifted restlessly, a bit of anxiety starting to make its way through them both. 

YangYang turned back to the prince, making a majestic gesture with his hand, offering it to the other who rolled his eyes at him. "Why of course your highness, anything for you. I am but only alive to serve just you, my prince" the brunette drawled with a high pitched fancy voice, making Hendery chuckle and grab his outstretched hand. 

"Please don't ever talk like that again and please don't ever call me 'your highness' ugh! I already get called that enough back at the palace." He was finally pulled up on top of the dragon's back, fear settling in his eyes at what he was doing and witnessing. 

YangYang chuckled at his expression. "Calm down, you won't fall, as long as you hang onto something. Okay Ten-ge, we're ready." 

" _Finally_ " the dragon sighed. He stretched out his inky black wings, looking around once more and then running for momentum before pouncing onto a rock and pushing himself up, up, up into the air, a big _whoosh_ echoing throughout the forest. And then, they were off.

The ride to the cave itself wasn't bad. It didn't even take that long, but maybe with the way Hendery had a vice grip on YangYang's waist and his whole body basically attached to his, back to chest, it probably felt like a lifetime to the prince. 

And when they finally got to the edge of the mountain, a looming cave on the side, Hendery plopped down from Ten's back and began retching. 

Both Ten and YangYang flinched, looking back at each other in panic. 

" _Why is he puking?!_ "

" _I don't know, he probably got scared! I mean it is his first time, riding a dragon. And also finding out they're real._ "

" _Oh my-fine! Let me go put on clothes real quick and I'll be right back. Give him some water or something. And make sure he doesn't pass out, he looks too pale and it's freaking me out._ "

And that's where they ended up now, Ten patting the poor prince's back who hasn't stopped shaking and gagging, but thankfully hadn't spilled his guts out anymore after the first time. 

YangYang really tried to reel in his laughter, he really did, but it ended up pouring out anyway. Giggles kept falling out like a waterfall, even after Ten promised he would sit on him when he was back to being a dragon if he didn't stop. 

"Quit laughing! Can't you see he almost had a life or death experience!"

"I know! I-I'm sorry, but I just c-can't help it." YangYang continued on laughing, wiping tears from his eyes every other second. Ten ended up throwing a nearby rock at him, giggles now replaced with pained whines and protests, the dragon shaking his head while continuing to grab the younger's water jug and making the ravenette take sips every few minutes. 

"Some friend you have there, huh?" 

The prince finally had some color returning to his cheeks. The blush darkened when the dragon, brushed his hair back in a sweet gesture, not minding the sweaty strands that stuck to his forehead. 

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I think I'd rather have someone laughing at me than 50 maids fussing over me and getting put into bed rest for the rest of the week." 

Ten laughed lightly. "That sounds like Kun-ge, our head dragon. He'll nag at you for becoming sick while cooking remedies, locking you into bed, and checking on you every 5 seconds or so. We also get laughed at, but that's inevitable in this family."

Hendery looking a bit better, got up to his feet and smiled at the dragon. "That sounds sweet. And I think I'm okay now, thank you." 

"You're not gonna puke again when you see the rest, are you?" YangYang asked obnoxiously, giggling once more when seeing the prince all disheveled and sweaty; not at all what a prince was supposed to look like.

"I don't think so, but I may end up fainting, so just watch out for that."

"Well, don't expect anyone of us to catch you , because we will let you-"

"Ten? YangYang? Are you there?" 

Both YangYang and Ten started, turning back to the prince and pushing him behind one of the big rocks so he'd be hidden from Kun. When they turned back around, they were face to face with a confused, but slightly angry, head dragon. 

They both screamed simultaneously, scaring Kun in return. "Why are two screaming? And you! Where did you go? You're supposed to be grounded, remember?" Kun pointed his finger at the younger, blue eyes blazing bright, even in the harsh sunlight beating down on the mountain. 

"Hehe, K-Kun-ge! Hey! And I was actually out, because...because I was picking up some berries. Yes, for breakfast...because I like them very much. Yep, that's why. Right, Ten?" 

"Yep, that's what he was doing. I was going to help him, but since y'know, you said he was grounded, I decided to bring him back here. Yep...that's totally the reason." 

Kun's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, eyes going back and forth between the two. "You two are acting weirder than usual." He stared at them some more before he spoke again. 

"You're hiding something." 

"Wha-! No we're not!" 

"Yeah Kun-ge, why would you think-"

"Someone's behind that rock, isn't there?" 

The two froze, eyes refusing to meet Kun's whose face has gone from confusion to anger to confusion again and now to something that the two younger ones couldn't understand. YangYang couldn't stop his heart from beating loudly in his ears and he hoped with all his might that it was louder than Hendery's, who was probably freaking out as well. 

Apparently it wasn't. 

"Move" Kun pushed the two others aside, ignoring their protests and excuses, stopping when someone decided to come out from behind the rock. 

YangYang and Ten stopped, their breaths held in, awaiting the disaster that was to come when Kun's eyes landed on Hendery whose face and body were the pure definition of nervousness and panic. 

"Who are you?" were Kun's first words, harsh sounding with a threatening tone underneath, making the prince flinch a bit. 

"I-ahem...I am Prince Hendery of Polera and I came here to ask you about the legendary Emerald City." 

Before anyone could utter another word, the prince found himself swaying a bit before face planting into the rocky ground, stunning the rest who didn't move an inch for a few seconds. 

"Well" began Ten, who shrugged at Kun and YangYang who turned towards him when he spoke, "he did say he might faint. And he wasn't wrong."

Kun groaned in frustration, rubbing his face before gesturing to the passed out ravenette. "Just help me get him inside." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Look at me updating quicker than usual! ;) 
> 
> Please leave kudos & comments if you enjoyed! Thanks! 
> 
> Twitter: [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	9. Hendery

"I think Sicheng-ge likes his new toy." 

"No, Sicheng, he is not something you can hoard. He's a human." 

A grumbling huff responded back.

"...He does have a point." 

A gasp. "Ge! You can't let him keep him! No matter if he's alive or not!" 

"I wasn't actually gonna let him keep him. Only for right now until he wakes up." 

A petulant whine and a slight possessive growl was given back. 

"I was just kidding, Chengie. You can keep him for being the only obedient child in this household" was whispered back in loving tone. 

Hendery realized he was hearing voices above, below, all around him, and he was laying down on my something warm, but rough. His head and nose hurt _immensely_ and his body felt like he was just hit by a million rocks. A rough groan made its way through his throat. 

He felt the whole room still, despite having his eyes closed. The ground under him was suddenly moving and he startled, eyes flying open and hands looking to clutch onto something so he wouldn't fall. 

When his eyes adjusted to the bright morning light coming from outside, he turned his head this way and that, trying to remember where he was and how he got there. His eyes caught onto someone familiar first; YangYang. 

The boy's eyes were wide, body set into a flight or fight position and he noticed that he was wasn't looking at him, but at something behind him. He turned to look at a man next to him with soft lily white hair and blazing ice blue eyes second, who was rather calm, arms crossed lazily, opposite of YangYang, and was also looking at something behind him. 

When he was about to ask what they were looking at, a huge gust of warm wind hit him from behind and he immediately stilled. His heart jumped into his throat, eyes gone so wide it seemed they were about to pop out of his sockets. His hands began shaking and he closed his eyes out of fear when he felt said thing or someone move behind him, warmth radiating off of them making his nape damp with sweat. 

"HEY CHENGIE!" 

Everyone flinched harshly at the loud voice, turning to see Ten with a baby blue quilt, a lazy smile on his face with a hand on his hips. He raised his hand over his head, throwing the quilt to whatever was behind him and when he heard the tell-tale _thump_ of it landing, he made a run for it. 

He stumbled over his feet, brain and body still weak and drowsy, but he was thankfully steadied by the white haired man and YangYang who pushed him behind them. His jaw dropped at finally seeing what mysterious being was behind him the whole time. 

He was looking up at a great big silver dragon. 

He started to feel lightheaded again, the ground coming up quicker than he thought, but thankfully YangYang grabbed his arm and pulled him up right, arm wrapped around his waist while he lifted his hand to put over his shoulder so he could lean on him for support. 

"T-thanks" he repiled weakly, still in disbelief at what he was seeing. 

YangYang chuckled, adjusting him a bit. "No problem. So, I guess Ten-ge didn't impress you _that_ much?" 

"Why do you say that?" 

"Well from what I'm seeing, you seem waaay more shocked at seeing Sicheng-ge then when you did Ten-ge in his dragon form." 

"Y-yeah well...Ten didn't really try to eat me and...he's way much bigger than him" he stated, motioning his head towards the dragon who was rolling around with the quilt draped over his face, Ten smiling at the beast, petting him whenever he got into close range. The way the dragon was acting reminded Hendery of how a cat would act with catnip. 

All dopey and excited. 

The silver dragon was enormous. Definitely way bigger than Ten's form, maybe almost as big as a small house. His tough silver scales reflected the sun and made all kinds of weird fun shapes on the ground. His leathery wings spread wide and proud, like a bat's, almost knocking YangYang and Hendery over with the powerful gusts of winds they gave off. And even though his body was massive, he still moved with grace and balance, something Hendery still couldn't quite master back at his classes of etiquette. 

_Funny how a dragon has more balance than I do_ , Hendery thought bitterly.

When the dragon finally clutched the quilt in his claws, gnawing at the already torn edges, his phoenix shaped eyes zoned in on him, startling the prince and keeping him planted to his spot. 

His eyes were pure blood red. 

They glittered like a thousand rubies in the sunlight, slits becoming wide when they landed on the frozen prince. YangYang next to him froze too, slowly unwrapping his arms away from him. It wasn't until the other was already far away that he noticed he left him all alone, pinned down under the terrifying stare. 

"Why did you leave me?!" 

"Cuz if I stayed he would have attacked me for taking his treasure." 

"His what?!" Hendery's screech made the dragon growl loudly, creeping closer with the practiced moment of a predator. 

Ten walked up next to YangYang, holding out his hands in calming gesture, but it was the last thing Hendery was feeling at the moment. "Look, lesson 1 on dragons; never try to take anything away from a dragon, especially if they see you as a treasure to hoard." 

"B-but I'm not a treasure to hoard!" he whisper shouted, the beast getting closer every second. 

"Yeah, you wanna tell him that?" YangYang scoffed. 

"C-can't you just talk to him? I mean, y'all are all like family right?" 

"Well," Ten started, high pitched voice sounding unsure, "it's more complicated with dragon instincts, especially since Sichengie hasn't shifted for centuries and can't really control hoarding urges like the rest of us." 

_Oh my gods, I am going to die._

He hadn't noticed he closed his eyes tightly until a warm breath blew in his face. He slowly opened them, coming face to face with eyes that pierced through his soul and probably through all his ancestors with how powerful of a stare it was. 

They all waited with bated breath, not knowing or expecting what the next course of action the dragon was to take next. The dragon then opened its great mouth, Hendery feeling like he was already in death's cold grip. 

He closed his eyes tightly again, not wanting to see the razor sharp teeth ready to chomp down onto his poor body and swallow him hole. 

Then it happened. 

A warm wet feeling drew all over his body, knocking him backwards from the force of it. He gasped out in surprise, eyes opening to see the dragon with a tilted head and playful but curious eyes staring down at him from where he fell. 

"Did? Did he just lick me?" He asked weakly, looking down at his body to see it covered in saliva which he cringed a bit at.

YangYang laughed out in pure joy, Ten joining him. "That means he likes you." 

After Ten stated that, he was pushed roughly to the ground by a curious snout, rubbing the side of his head into Hendery's stomach and a loud rumbling noise echoing throughout the cave. Hendery let lout a disbelieving laugh, unsure hands petting the dragon's snout and head, smile widening when the rumbling seemed to get louder. 

The dragon was purring. 

"H-hi...you must be Sicheng, correct?" The dragon growled lowly, extending out a clawed paw and dragging the prince closer towards him. Hendery laughed when the dragon basically curled his whole body around him, warmth surrounding him suddenly. The purring was almost deafening now since he was closer to the dragon's chest. 

Sicheng continued to butt his head into his body and hands, seeking out pets and scratches. Fondness began to bloom in his chest at the silver dragon, little laughs leaving his lips everytime the beast wanted to get closer.

"Having fun there?" he turned around to see Ten and YangYang with arms crossed and hips jutted out in a sassy manner, eyes holding a mischievous glint. 

"Yeah, never thought I'd almost get killed by a dragon today, lest cuddled by one." They all let out chuckles at that, a calm silence passing over them besides Sicheng's purring. He scrunched his nose when he still felt his damp clothes seep into his body, but then it was ignored when he noticed something. 

His nose didn't hurt anymore. 

He reached up to gently touch it and when he did, no pain was met with his touches. His eyes widened, looking back at YangYang and Ten, still pressing down on his nose. "Woah, my nose, it's-" 

"Healed? Yeah, that's what dragon saliva does to you. Kinda gross right?" YangYang giggled, scrunching his nose when he observed the gross state the prince was in. "Sadly, it only really works with physical injuries and kind of minor ones at that, but they're somewhat helpful with bigger ones too." 

"Woah, that's really cool. I should write that down-" 

"Sicheng." 

A firm voice disrupted the nice ambience, resonating throughout the cave and making the dragon stop all his actions. Sicheng slowly sat up, still hovering over the prince, but not touching him anymore. Hendery recognized the voice from before. 

_Kun_ as Ten and YangYang had called him. _He's the head dragon; the man with the white hair._

YangYang placed his hand on his shoulder, making him turn to face him, not noticing how close the other had gotten. He had a determined look in his green eyes that almost seemed to glow in the sunlight. He nodded his head and walked out from behind Sicheng and faced Kun who had his eyebrows furrowed in a stern look, blue eyes flicking towards him to give him a skeptical look. 

_He doesn't trust me. I don't blame him since I am practically a stranger._

"Hello. My name is-"

"I know who you are. You've already introduced yourself, Prince Hendery. I just want to kindly ask you to leave and I hope that with Sicheng's judgement, I can trust that you won't say anything about what you saw here today." 

"I-I would never tell anyone about you all. But, I will ask if I can stay, just for a few hours, to ask you if you could tell-"

"No." 

YangYang groaned in frustation, getting the _dont-you-dare-start_ -look from Kun, but it didn't do much convincing. "Kun-ge-"

"No." 

"You don't even know what he's about to ask of you!" 

"Yes I do and I already said no, now please Ten, take him back to the kingdom before they start getting worried." 

Ten sighed tiredly. "Kun, just listen-" 

"I ALREADY SAID NO!" 

A freezing gust of wind hit their bodies, making them stumble back in shock. Hendery looked down to see the ground decorated in intricate frost designs, spreading like ink on a parchment paper. When he looked back up to look at Kun, he almost recoiled at the terrifying blue blazing stare he was giving all of them. 

"Please Ten, take him back home." 

And with a turn on his heel and another teeth chattering breeze accompanied by a white blinding light, Kun, now transformed into a majestic pristine white dragon, flew off, disappearing into the sky, blending in with the fat fluffy clouds. 

They all let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding. Ten was the first to break the silence. 

"Well, if he won't tell you," both Hendery and YangYang's eyes widened to stare at the black haired male, expectant hearts almost bursting in excitement, "then no one will."

YangYang began to whine. "Oh c'mon Ten! Don't play us like that!" 

Ten chuckled, ruffling both boys' heads. "I'm just kidding. I'll tell you what you want to hear. But first, why don't we go have a picnic at the top of the mountain? Sound fun?" 

They both nodded, grins overtaking their faces. Hendery reached into his pocket, sighing at the feeling of the locket safely nestled inside, despite all the events that had occurred that morning. 

He was finally going to learn what happened to Emerald City. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! We're getting closer to a history lesson! Stay tuned! And thank you for reading! :D
> 
> [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	10. Forgotten History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood, panic attacks, major character death, war, abuse
> 
> This all happens near the end so I'll add a + sign before the paragraph so you can skip if you're not comfortable reading it

_Lee_ _Taeyong_ _had just become the King of Emerald City._

_The kingdom had gone all out for this special day. Streamers flowing from post to post, never ending confetti that littered the streets so much, it covered everyone's feet, food, desserts, and fuzzy drinks passed out and made for everyone to celebrate with, children on their parent's shoulders so the king could see them from his balcony, joy overcoming their faces when he spotted them and waved. The whole kingdom adored the baby prince who grew into a flowering boy who then grew up to be a strong but sweet and kind man. He then became the king at the ripe age of 21._

_He showed all the higher ups who dared underestimate him just for being a prince who grew up with a silver spoon. After showing everyone that his sharp tongue was not to be messed with, no one dared treat him as an accessory on a woman's neck anymore. Only treating him then as an equal, and maybe sometimes not, but it was enough to show the outside world he wasn't as useless as everyone deemed him to be._

_And he had an advantage with his stern appearance at first meetings._

_Kings, queens, princes, princesses, lords, dukes, council members, everyone deemed important were always too afraid to approach him, scared that he would banish them if they even so much as breathed in his presence. And even though everyone in his kingdom bore the green eye color, his seemed to be even more fierce, like a tiger ready to pounce at any moment._

_Of course rumors were always created based off of his appearance, despite their first meeting being nothing but respectful and almost dull._

_"He's a cold-blooded killer, I tell you!"_

_"He has a torture chamber beneath his castle! I've seen it!"_

_"I heard he always has a new mistress in his bed every night."_

_"Did you know he impregnated a peasant, but refuses to tell anyone because of the embarrassment it'll bring to his kingdom? How horrid!"_

_These rumors were never believed, however, since the rumors would only be caused by royals or nobles from other countries that would come to visit. The people of Emerald City knew who Lee_ _Taeyong_ _really was._

_He was the raven haired boy with the precious smile and a unique boisterous laugh, the boy who absolutely loved sweets, loved them so much the bakers would sneak him some sweets whenever he was in the city, the boy who loved animals and children alike, never once complaining if he ever got dirty from playing around with them, the boy who loved to dance whenever he heard music, always starting a ring of dancing and turning it into a starry night full of laughter, love, and dancing the night away._

_He always heard the pleas and requests of his people diligently, ignoring his advisers when they tried to stray his attention away from the 'peasants' as they liked to call his people._

_He wasn't perfect, but he tried everything in his power to make his kingdom a better place for the citizens and for the future generation._

_~_

_It was a bright morning when they had gotten an unexpected visitor._

_He was hastily woken up by his adviser, urged to get dressed and to get ready to come down to the throne room immediately._

_To say he was a bit worried was an understatement._

_So without complaint, he did as he was told and made his way down to the throne room. He couldn't keep the surprise off his face when he was met two enormous covered boxes and the king of_ _Rubenia_ _smiling brightly with a slight glint of something else lingering in his stare. You couldn't catch it if you weren't paying attention._

 _Park_ _Ruhyuck_ _was his name and he was a dangerous man._

_It was said that he lead 2,000 men into war for the ownership of another kingdom, simply for having the best women and wine._

_Greedy was definitely an understatement. And the rumor ended up being true. He boasted about it as if it was something to be proud of, but in the eyes of nobility, it was._

_Taking a second to calm his expression, he slowly walked down the throne steps and slightly bowed his head, a barely hint of a smile (more like a grimace) placing itself on his petal lips. Just like a king should act._

_"What an honor it is to be graced with your presence today, King_ _Ruhyuck_ _."_

_"Aye, and you as well, your majesty."_

_With a_ _suave_ _gait, the burgundy haired king bowed dramatically while grabbing_ _Taeyong's_ _hand to place a delicate kiss on his skin. A kiss that lingered a bit too long for his liking._

_He coolly retracted his hand and faked a pleasant smile for the man, deciding to turn his attention to the boxes behind him, thick black drapes over them._

_When_ _Taeyong_ _looked at the bottom, of the box, he could see a hint of silver peeking out. It almost looked like metal._

_Metal?_

_"W-ahem-what did you bring with you today, King_ _Ruhyuck?"_

_This seemed to bring the man out of his leering and onto the boxes he brought with him. "Ah!" he exclaimed, as if remembering what he was here for in the first place._

_"A gift! For you, your majesty. If you'll accept them, I would like to make a proposal to you."_

_"Oh...well alright. May I seem them then?"_

_"But of course," with an unsettling grin, he motioned to the two servants beside the boxes to reveal what was underneath._

_Taeyong_ _didn't realize he was holding his breath. What in world would this man like to give him? Especially gifts this big? And what would his proposal be if he accepted them? Oh goodness, they already had an alliance, what else could he_ _wa_ _-_

 _Before his thoughts could finish, the drapes were swiftly pulled away and_ _Taeyong_ _felt his breath leave him all at once, leaving him lightheaded._

 _Gasps echoed throughout the room, the_ _ravenette_ _noticing one left him as well._

_Those weren't boxes._

_They were cages._

_Cages that held..._

_Dragons._

_The king smiled proudly at all the dumbstruck faces, including_ _Taeyong_ _himself sporting one as well. He had no words. No thoughts. Not one peep._

_In the left cage was a large deep red orange dragon, throwing itself against the metal bars that dug into it's scales, growls rumbling deep within it's throat, maw shut tight from the black metal muzzle that covered it's mouth. Honey brown eyes bore into the king's skull, slit pupils promising death if they were ever to leave the confines of the cage. Deadly claws clanged loudly against the metal when it struck the bars, repeating the action, even if it was futile._

_In the right cage was a complete opposite scene. In it sat a midnight black dragon, with serene heterochromatic green and blue eyes that reflected the land and ocean in the sunlight, sitting up like an obedient dog waiting for it's master to give them the next order. The dragon also had a muzzle around its snout, making them look even more pitiful than its stance._

_Taeyong_ _was in awe, disbelief, shock, all kinds of emotions brewing within him. He didn't know what to say._

_"I...I don't know what to say, your majesty."_

_"Perhaps a simple 'thank you' would suffice? And also an agreement to my proposal?"_

_Taeyong's_ _attention was suddenly snatched away by those words, a creeping chill running through his skin._

_"And what might that be, your majesty?" He asked in a quiet voice, not trying to let disgust overpower his manners._

_However, he couldn't contain the shock and widening of his eyes when the king dropped down on one knee with a dramatic bow and a flourish of his rich velvet cape, revealing a small white stone box and opening it to reveal a gorgeous onyx ring, delicate and smooth with a priceless emerald stone set in the middle cushioned in a silk pillow._

_"Lee_ _Taeyong_ _," he began in a sultry and proud tone, "will you do the honor of marrying me, King Park_ _Ruhyuck_ _of_ _Rubenia_ _?"_

 _Taeyong_ _placed a hand on his chest, stopping himself before he outright screamed "NO" in the other's face, knowing he would cause a war for his blatant disrespect._

_He glanced at his adviser who gave him a panicked look and a gesture to quickly answer the man._

_"Um..."_

_Oh gods, he was panicking! What was he to say? He didn't want to marry this greedy, disrespectful, conceited, insufferable-_

_"Your majesty?"_

_"Oh!"_ _Taeyong_ _pulled away from his thoughts, despite naming a lot of reasonable cons as to why marrying_ _Ruhyuck_ _would be a bad idea._

_A VERY bad idea._

_"Your majesty," he began in a soft tone, as if speaking to a child, not wanting a bomb to erupt. "I think I need some time to think through this." As he spoke, he discreetly closed the box and pulled the king up to his feet, looming a bit too close to him and giving him a confused look._

_"I beg your pardon?"_

_Oh boy._

_Probably not used to rejection._

_This was going to be harder than_ _Taeyong_ _thought._

_"I appreciate the proposal and for your exotic...gifts, but I just think that maybe-"_

_"Maybe you should stay in Emerald City and get to know the place better while we think of a response. We'll also throw you a welcoming ball since you arriving was so sudden and we didn't get to prepare you anything, your majesty. How does that sound?"_

_His adviser quickly butted in, steadying_ _Taeyong_ _with a hand on his arm and back, a polite smile gracing his face._

 _The idea of a welcoming ball seemed to grab_ _Ruhyuck's_ _attention, eyes brightening and body language perking up at the sound of a party._

_"Well that does sound lovely! And I did just barge in here, my apologies, your majesty."_

_"Forgiven."_

_"How long before the welcoming ball?"_

_"2 weeks. That'll give us enough time to invite others as well and maybe announce an important engagement?" The adviser was met with two complete opposite looks; a horrified one and a delighted one._

_"Well that does sound perfect! I will give you both time to organize everything, but your wondrous grace, before you head off to plan, may I surprise you with another gift?"_

_Oh gods almighty save him._

_"A-another gift?"_

_"Yes and a much better one. Come with me please."_

_Giving a pleading look to his adviser, which was completely ignored, damn fool, he was whisked away to go see his other gift._

_He just hoped it wasn't another dragon._

_~_

_It was another dragon._

_However this one was not kept in a cage and for good reasons too._

_The first reason was obvious; the dragon was gargantuan and definitely much MUCH bigger than the first two. They probably couldn't find a cage big enough to fit it in._

_The second reason was because they had about 20 men trying to hold the creature down by the chains connected to it's feet. It's wings kept beating downwards, harsh gusts of winds created that almost knocked everyone present down flat onto the ground._

_The creature also had a muzzle around it's snout, trying everything in its power to wrench it open and mostly likely singe everyone to bits._

_Once_ _Ruhyuck_ _saw that his men were indeed having trouble, he sighed dramatically and walked down the marble stone steps into the sunny lit garden, leaving a terrified_ _Taeyong_ _watching from a distance._

 _This dragon was pure gold. Its scales reflecting the sun so brightly,_ _Taeyong_ _had to squint his eyes a bit from the harsh light that shown. Its body was 2x bigger than the dragons back in the throne room. Its tail was swift and dangerous, knocking many man down onto their backs, but more quickly came running down to replace them and to begin holding down the chains._ _Taeyong_ _couldn't make out its eyes for all the thrashing around that it was doing._

_"Get down you beast!"_

_Taeyong_ _looked over to see a man pull out a sharp spear and hurtle it into the dragon's front right leg._

 _Taeyong_ _and the dragon simultaneously let out noises of pain, the dragon landing roughly onto the green grass and_ _Taeyong_ _without hesitation, running towards the creature and men to try and stop whatever they were planning to do further._

_"Stop! What are you doing?!"_

_Taeyong_ _shrieked when all the men began to do the same thing and stab the dragon with swords and spears, keeping him pinned to the ground while they re-chained them up to the handles in the ground._

 _Before another man could even begin to put another weapon through the dragon's body,_ _Taeyong_ _, apologetically, snatched a sword out of the creature's body and stood in front of its muzzled snout, pointing the bloodied end of the blade at a man's throat._

 _The man ended up being_ _Ruhyuck_ _._

_His green eyes to seem burn brighter in the sunlight, burning holes through the burgundy haired king who raised his arms up in defense, men already pointing their swords to the young king who didn't back down one bit._

_"Tell them to pull out the weapons."_

_"Your_ _majes_ _-"_

_"NOW!"_

_The blade was pushed forward, the cold wet metal touching skin, making everyone hold in their breaths, scared of what would happen if the_ _ravenette_ _didn't get his wish this instant._

_With a flick of his hand, the men quickly began to pull out all the different types of blades that were shot through the poor creature's body. Whimpers and growls rumbled deep within its chest, giving one last sigh of pain when the last spear was taken out, a disgusting pile of bloodied weapons beside the dragon._

_"Your grac_ _-"_

_"That's 'your majesty' to you, don't you forget. Now unchain him."_

_Everyone's eyes widened._

_"Your majesty, the dragon would fly a-"_

_"Let him. Now, listen to me and unchain him."_

_"Are you denying my proposal then?"_

_Oh that wasn't going to work on him,_ _Taeyong_ _thought bitterly._

_"Your proposal still stands, but as I seem to recall, this is MY gift, correct?"_

_"You-"_

_"Correct?!"_

_Ruhyuck_ _sighed heavily, as if dealing with a pouting 7-year-old._

_"Correct" he replied in a low voice, almost as if it was killing him to admit it._

_"Okay. Now unchain and release him. I won't say it again."_

_All the men surrounding the two kings looked back and forth between the two, worry, anger, and confusion gracing their faces, unsure of what to do in that tense moment. Finally accepting that_ _Taeyong_ _wouldn't back down easily without a fight, he nodded to one of them who hesitantly, unlocked all the chains._

 _When all the chains fell heavily to the ground with a clang,_ _Taeyong_ _turned around to the creature boring holes into his head. Its eyes were liquid gold, and if it were a possibility, even more brighter than its scales that seemed to almost blind him a moment ago._

_He threw the bloody weapon as far away as he could, raising his hands as if to show the creature he meant no harm. He slowly kneeled down in front of the beast, gold eyes meeting green ones, and with shaking hands and a furiously beating heart, he slowly unbuckled the muzzle from both sides, letting it drop lifelessly to ground, accompanying the chains as well._

_The dragon slowly and terrifyingly raised itself up, eyes never once leaving_ _Taeyong's,_ _Taeyong_ _as well never breaking eye contact._

_All the men surrounding them slowly began to back away, fear gripping their souls like death at their doorstep. Once the dragon was fully steady on all four feet, eyes remembering every face that dare hurt him on this day, wings readying themselves for a long needed flight, the dragon finally opened its great mouth and roared._

_A bloodcurdling roar that spoke of promise and revenge on those who wronged him today, vowing to strike fear into everyone who crossed him again in the future, if they decided to._

_And with that, the creature's wings extended and he was off, flying high into the clouds, never to be seen again._

_And that is all_ _Taeyong_ _wished for._

_~_

_After having a very prolonged discussion about what had just occurred and also the release of the first 2 dragons, which was gratefully granted, it was now nearing midnight and_ _Taeyong_ _was finally heading towards his quarters, ready to sleep away all of today._

_His adviser had also chewed his ear off about 'disrespecting' their guest, but at this point, he could care less._

_That man is a pompous egoistical jerk, thought_ _Taeyong_ _bitterly, beginning to take off his clothing once he was safely inside his room._

_And of course out of all the people he decides to propose to, he decides to propose to ME! Me who has shown nothing but revulsion at the sight of him! Maybe he can't take a hint! Oh, I'll show him tomorrow what a hint looks like and if that doesn't make him leave, then I'll just have to call the servants for help for some intervention..._

_After getting into the large marble bathtub, readied by his servants, he finally let out a tired sigh, letting the warm water seep into his bones, lavender and vanilla caressing his senses, lulling him into unconsciousness._

_Small herbs and petals were swirled around in the water for the purpose of making the king's skin smooth to the touch and also to leave a lingering soft scent in its wake, alluring anyone who stood next to him._

_Taeyong_ _had had his eyes closed for awhile now, trying desperately not to remember today's events for the sake of his own heart. Today was just stressful and full of surprises._

_I don't think I can take anymore after today. If I do end up getting surprised again, I might as well write my own will for the sake of not being able to-_

_His thoughts were interrupted when large dark shadow passed over his window, making him sit straight up, heart lodged in his throat, soul almost leaping from his body._

_"Handle it" he whispered quietly to himself._

_His heart beat loudly in his ears, and when he began to relax again, two more shadows passed over his window, alarming him once more._

_Intruders?_

_Or what if they're just birds?_

_But birds that big?_

_Well, what if-_

_A servant came tumbling in, scaring_ _Taeyong_ _again for the umpteenth time and before he could ask what she was doing, she blurted out-_

_"The dragons are back!"_

_~_

_After hastily getting dressed and telling the servant explicit orders not to wake up his adviser or their guest, he made his way through the castle and to the garden grounds, informed of that's where they seemed to be heading._

_He ordered the captain of the guard to stand down and stay away from the garden, not wanting to spook the creatures that came back. He also told him to make sure that his adviser and their guest would stay asleep and inside, especially their guest._

_His heart pounded in his ears, not letting him think and go through a game plan of what was going to happen once he was face to face with the dragons. He let his feet take him to his destination, muscle memory guiding him like a bloodhound towards the garden._

_Once he was a few feet away from the open entrance, he stopped. He took a deep breath to compose himself a little, so he wouldn't accidentally soil his underwear in front of the beasts. Once he at least gathered some of his wits together, he slowly walked outside, the moonlight bright and soulful in the velvet blue sky, stars gathered around like children to their mother._

_At first, he didn't see anything. Just the regular bushes, trees, and a plethora of lovely flowers around. He decided to walk deeper into the garden, going through the small maze that was a bit frightening at night, especially with the fog starting to accumulate at his feet and some of trees beginning to block out the moonlight._

_When he turned the corner to find the small fountain with the sculpture set in the center of the maze, he stopped. A thick tension had hit him like a smack, his breath taken away from him. It was suffocating._

_He slowly walked towards the fountain, the small trickling of the water not doing it's job of calming him like it used to, his heart and mind too alert of the creatures lurking somewhere around here. He began to look around instead, trying to find a clue of where the creatures were. As he looked down towards the fountain, something shiny caught his eye. It was in the water._

_He pulled up his sleeve and reached into the water, grabbing the shiny object and pulling it out to reveal it in the rays of the moon, almost blinding him when it reflected off the bright light. He gasped when he saw what it was._

_A scale._

_A golden dragon scale._

_"Why did you let me go?"_

_Taeyong_ _shrieked when he heard the deep voice coming from behind him out of nowhere. He hastily turned around, hidden dagger in his boot taken out with practiced movements, swung towards the unknown person, but then his wrist was caught._

 _Taeyong_ _made eye contact with the intruder, gasping at the uncanny sight. Their eyes were gold. The same liquid gold as the..._

 _"The dragon..."_ _Taeyong_ _whispered, hand slowly falling from the man's-dragon's-grip._ _Taeyong_ _took this time to look carefully over the intruder. He was taller than_ _Taeyong_ _and bigger as well, muscle ripped and cut clean, like a sculpture based on a hero of their past._ _Taeyong_ _then noticed that the man was completely nude._

 _"Oh gods" he muttered to himself, looking away quickly as he had looked. He was quite...impressive, but_ _Taeyong_ _wasn't here to ogle at the man's body right now! He had to figure out if the man was connected to the beast...or was the beast._

_He began to look at his features more closely. His hair was pure black like onyx, eyes sharp and intimidating, even more so in the dim light. He also noticed his collarbone and cheek were shimmering lightly, like glitter, but he could tell it wasn't the decorative dust. It looked more solid and somehow sewn into his pale skin._

_"Answer my question."_

_Taeyong_ _startled from his observing, looking back up at the man, shrinking a little under his unnerving gaze. He cleared his throat, trying to get his voice back from his shriek earlier. How embarrassing, he flushed, cringing at himself._

_"W-what question?"_

_"Why did you let me go?"_

_"So...so are you really the...the..."_ _Taeyong_ _couldn't do this. He just couldn't somehow believe that this MAN standing right in front of him was the dragon. Even though his eyes told another story,_ _Taeyong's_ _being just couldn't fathom it. Like at all!_

_"The golden dragon that you let go, despite the threat of your engagement being called off? Yes, I am that dragon. Now. Answer. My. Question."_

_The man had begun to walk towards_ _Taeyong_ _slowly, eyes holding a lethal blaze in his eyes, a threat lingering in his stare if he didn't get his answer right away. Not wanting to know what would happen if he didn't answer,_ _Taeyong_ _took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves that were going ballistic at the moment, and decided to answer truthfully._

_"I saw what they were doing to you and...I didn't like it."_

_"That's it?" the man asked skeptically, raising a perfectly groomed brow on his handsome face._ _Taeyong's_ _stomach did a funny little flip, but it was ignored with his fear taking over again._

_"Yes. I didn't like that they had begun hurting you, just so you could become someone's pet. I don't think dragons are supposed to be tamed and trained like a simple dog either. So that's why I let you go."_

_The man stayed quiet. His eyes had turned elsewhere, probably thinking over the_ _ravenette's_ _words. After a moment, he turned back towards the smaller, startling him again with his intense eyes. "And what about the other two? Why did you let them go? They weren't even being tortured."_

_"Just because they weren't being tortured, doesn't mean that keeping them as simple house pets on a leash isn't torture for them too."_

_Taeyong_ _thought it could be a trick of the light, but he saw small grin beginning to make its way across the dragon's lips, maybe even a dimple appearing on his cheek, but it was gone as soon as he saw it. Then the next moment shocked_ _Taeyong_ _beyond compare._

 _The man bowed down on one knee, startling the king and making him sputter in shock. "W-_ _wh_ _-what are you doing?!"_

_"Your majesty, I am in your debt for saving my life and also for the lives of my brethren. I would like to serve you until my debt has been repaid. Please-"_

_"Stop!"_

_When no other word came out of the man's mouth,_ _Taeyong_ _sighed heavily, kneeling down in front of the man, and slowly grabbing his shoulders (wow was his body temperature worrying) and pushing him upright to look into the king's eyes._

_"I don't want any repayment from you, nor your friends. You're in no debt towards me. I just want you to be free without anyone trying to capture and make you docile again. Understand?"_

_"But-"_

_"No buts. I can't...I don't like knowing someone thinks they have to repay me back, even if it costs them their lives just for something I did towards them that they're grateful for. Please don't be in debt towards me, I don't like it. I'd rather just you be free in the skies, hidden from the human world where others would never take the chance to hurt you again."_

_"You know, you're asking a lot from a dragon who has a bigger pride than most."_

_Taeyong_ _sighed. Of course this one had to be a stubborn one._

_"Then...what if I ask you to flee from here? What if that is my wish?"_

_"I can't flee without my clan."_

_"What?"_

_The man sat down comfortably on the grass,_ _Taeyong_ _following suit, confusion in his expression. "Where is your clan?"_

_"Your betrothed has captured my clan for future use in case in need of a war."_

_"He's not my betrothed-"_

_"That's not what he was saying before."_

_Taeyong rolled his eyes, ignoring his snide remark. "And why a war? Towards whom?"_

_"Towards all the kingdoms. But especially towards one called Emerald City."_

_Taeyong's_ _breath left him like a punch to the gut. He had always known_ _Ruhyuck_ _was full of ill intentions when he did things, especially when he visited other kingdoms, rumors almost always true about what he did to other places._ _Taeyong_ _felt a bit stupid for not being more cautious with the man the moment he walked across his border and into his home._

 _"Like hell I'll let him rage war on my home."_ _Taeyong_ _threatened with a deadly undertone, eyes becoming lethal and body language becoming tense with the need to protect and to fight. He looked back up at the man, seeing him looking up the hidden sky behind the trees, eyes looking solemn,_ _Taeyong's_ _heart breaking a little for the dragon._

 _Then an idea popped up to the forefront of_ _Taeyong's_ _mind._

_"Wait!"_

_The dragon startled, pupils becoming slits at the sudden shout._

_"Why don't I help you save your clan? If I can help you save your clan and release them, then he won't have any dragons to declare war on!"_

_"But it's not just my clan he took. He took many others as well. There's at least thousands of dragons he captured from everywhere, somehow able to find us when we've been hidden for years."_

_"Then I'll help you release them all."_

_The man's eyes widened at the determination flying across_ _Taeyong's_ _face, not knowing how to react when a human offered to help him save his entire race._

_"You will?"_

_"Yes, because as I said before, I don't think dragons are meant to be tamed. They're meant to be free in the skies, not fearing that they'll be taken away any second by humans. It's just selfish of us to think that if we capture or find something new in this world, it's immediately ours. And I apologize for it."_

_The corner of the man's mouth lifted, a scoff leaving it. "Funny how a human is apologizing to me. I must be dreaming."_

_"If this was a dream, I would believe it."_

_They both stared at each other for a good moment, no words leaving their mouths anymore, the silence almost deafening, except for the crickets chirping happily._

_"Will you really be willing to help me find my clan and the other dragons?"_

_"Yes,"_ _Taeyong_ _replied without hesitation, staring straight into the liquid pools of gold, wanting to show the other that he was in no way, shape, or form lying about his response. "Without any repayment."_

_The man scowled at that. "You know I can't do that. I have to-"_

_"Fine. Just to satisfy your pride, you can act as my...personal guard. Only until we find the other dragons. Then your debt had been repaid."_

_"But what about-"_

_"No more objections! Deal?"_

_Taeyong_ _held out his head, a smug smile on his face at tricking the dragon who was looking a bit bewildered at the exchange, still thinking it over. "_ _Deaaal_ _?"_ _Taeyong_ _asked again, not wanting the dragon to think he still owed the king more._

_The man looked back up at the king, nodding but then giving his hand a strange look. "Why are you giving me your hand?"_

_Taeyong_ _blinked. "It's to finalize our deal."_

 _"Oh...okay."_ _Taeyong_ _expected the man to shake his hand, but instead he knocked his head a bit too hard against_ _Taeyong's_ _who cried out at the sudden bump. "Ow!" he complained, rubbing at his forehead to lesson the pain, wondering if there'd be a mark or not, "what was that for?"_

_"That was to finalize our deal, was it not?"_

_"You were supposed to shake my hand, not give me a headache."_

_"Oh...okay." The man grabbed his hand and wildly shook it, his arm wiggling and sort of cramping at the harsh movement the man was doing. "Okay, okay, okay! I think that's enough shaking. I don't want you ripping my arm off."_

_"I could actually do that, you know."_

_"_ _Okaaayy_ _, why don't we start off our night by getting you some clothes, hm?"_

_~_

_After exiting the small maze and making their way back into the garden, they were both met with two other creatures. The black and red orange dragons._

_When they saw the duo come out from the maze entrance, the two beasts tackled the man down onto the ground, startling_ _Taeyong_ _and making him slowly back away from the harsh wrestling they had begun doing. When_ _Taeyong_ _watched a bit closer, he could see that they weren't wrestling, but sort of...nuzzling?_

 _Deep rumbles echoed within their chests, both dragons keeping the man to the ground, not giving him a chance to stand up. Then suddenly, the red orange dragon made eye contact with_ _Taeyong_ _, a threatening growl ripping through his throat, alarming the other two and shifting their attention towards him._

 _Taeyong's_ _eyes widened. He didn't make any sudden movements or loud sounds, not wanting to be attacked by the creature slowly approaching him, slit eyes observing his very being. When the dragon got close enough that the king could see the intricate details of his scales and irises, he began to pray to the gods that this wouldn't be his last moment on this very earth._

_He closed his eyes out of fear, accepting that nothing would save hi-_

_Taeyong_ _began to feel another presence in front of him and when he slowly opened his eyes, he was met by a black scaled wall. He gasped softly, eyes adjusting to what he was seeing and then he gasped again when he realized what it was._

_It was the other dragon...protecting him?_

_The black dragon stood in front of him in a defense position growling softly towards the other dragon, a bit smaller than the black one. They communicated with growls and rumbles from their chest, until it turned into a whine, almost sounding like a pouting child, coming from the red orange dragon._

_The man scoffed lightly, somehow right next to him, scaring_ _Taeyong_ _completely out of his wits. "_ _Wh_ _-when did you get here?!" he whisper shouted, not wanting to alert the two dragons who finally had their attention away from him. He hoped it stayed that way for awhile as he was still a little scared of them (mostly shocked at the realization that dragons were REAL) and how massive they were._

_"I just got here. And as you can see, these two were gifted to you as well. But you let them go too."_

_"Y-yeah. Somehow they look even bigger from when I saw them this morning. Maybe it was all that confinement that made them seem smaller. Do they turn into humans too?"_

_"Yes, but they'd rather stay in their dragon forms. They think their human forms are weak and that they're better off protecting themselves when they're dragons. There's some truth to that, but when you're around other humans, it's better to shift than to stay in your dragon form for the reason of humans capturing you."_

_The taller had a sad look in his eyes, still looking at the other dragons who now decided to begin playing, rolling around in ground and playfully tackling each other._ _Taeyong_ _looked at them too, noticing that they seemed a little young, despite not really knowing how a young dragon looked like._

_"Are they young?"_

_"Yes, adolescents. Annoying at times, but they're really fun when you don't like being an adult in certain moments."_

_"Are you an adult?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Do you think they'd like to stay too? In the castle, so they won't get captured again?"_

_The man turned his head towards_ _Taeyong_ _, an uncertain look in his eyes, but with a sigh, he nodded, a little reluctantly. "If you could hide them for a bit, just until we find the rest of our race, I would be forever grateful." The man placed a fist over his heart, bowing a little towards the king,_ _Taeyong_ _flushing, for some very ODD reason that he could not pinpoint, and scrambled to find words._

_"N-no it's fine, really! I don't want them having to endure what they already have. And besides, they seem to be following you, so I just assumed they'd be staying as well."_

_"I also intended to ask for permission for their stay, but it seems you beat me to it, your majesty."_

_"T-_ _Taeyong_ _is fine." Why was he stuttering so much?!_

_"But are you not the ruler of this kingdom?"_

_"I am, but I feel as though majestic creatures like dragons shouldn't be bowing or being formal to me in any way. I actually think it should be the other way around,"_ _Taeyong_ _responded, a little shyly, trying to find his intimidating persona that scared the wits out of every noble in all the land. Where was he when he needed him the most,_ _Taeyong_ _whined in his head._

 _"Alright, then I shall call you_ _Taeyong_ _, as you wish. However, I do feel as though humans are too disrespectful to ever show us any type of formality or even any type of respect for that matter, so there would be no reason to think they would ever do that for us."_

 _Taeyong_ _agreed, knowing how some selfish humans just took, took, took, never thinking about how their actions could hurt many others. He could think of one specific person right now._

_"I think it's only fair that if you know my name, then I should know yours too. May I know it?"_

_"You may. My name is_ _Jaehyun_ _."_

 _"Nice to meet you,_ _Jaehyun_ _. I wish for the start of our agreement to only end in the success of finding your clan and the other dragons."_

 _"Nice to meet you too, your maj-_ _Taeyong_ _. And I agree."_

 _Taeyong_ _mistakenly stuck out his hand again, the man-_ _Jaehyun_ _, his mind reminded-looked at it with recognition, and began to shake it wildly,_ _Taeyong_ _once again pulling it back with a hiss, feeling his shoulder pop from the rough shaking._

 _"Maybe we should just stick to head bumping, BUT do it softly, please. I hate having headaches."_ _Jaehyun_ _let a tiny smile fall upon his lips, leaning down to softly bump heads against_ _Taeyong's_ _, who smiled timidly at the action._

_"Okay, now let's really go find you some clothes. Please."_

_~_

_When_ _Taeyong_ _had awoken the next morning, he immediately clapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming bloody murder when he saw two gigantic amber eyes drilling holes into his head. Right next to his bed._

 _His heart had dropped to his ass and his soul was nowhere to be found and for a good second,_ _Taeyong_ _really thought he could pass out from shock right then and there._

 _"It's okay, he won't hurt you."._ _Taeyong_ _turned around to face_ _Jaehyun_ _, who was on standing on the other side of his bed and thankfully still in his pajamas one of the servants had given_ _Taeyong_ _, which he gave to_ _Jaehyun_ _last night. His golden eyes were shining a little brighter in the morning sun, making the_ _ravenette_ _think he would never be able to get used to them, as much as that thought sort of annoyed him._

 _"Then why is he just staring at me,"_ _Taeyong_ _whispered frightfully, slowly turning his head to see the red orange dragon still focused on him._

_"He doesn't trust you, but don't worry he won't do anything unless I tell him to."_

_"Will you tell him to?"_

_"Not unless you give me a reason to."_

_Taeyong_ _gulped at that. These dragons were not something to mess with, his mind supplied. Before he could say anything else, something near his feet began to move and shift and when he looked down, the massive black dragon was snoozing away on his bed sheets, ignoring everyone while he was lost in his dreams._

 _Taeyong_ _slowly lifted his knees so his feet weren't the near the sleeping dragon anymore, scared they would get bitten off if he accidentally woke him up._

 _"And him? Does he not trust me either?"_ _Taeyong_ _gestured to the other dragon,_ _Jaehyun_ _following where his finger pointed to._

_"He doesn't, but we woke him up too early and he decided to go back to sleep instead."_

_As if knowing they were talking about him, the dragon groaned, moving into another sleeping position before settling once again._

_This was definitely going to get some taking used to._

_"O-okay, well, I'd think it be best if they stay in my quarters instead, since they're not going to be shifting anytime soon. Is that okay with them?"_

_Jaehyun_ _looked towards the red dragon, a silence passing over them, a conversation being held between their eyes and after they were done,_ _Jaehyun_ _turned towards the king and said, "they were already going to take over your quarters anyways, to keep a close eye on you when you weren't out there with me."_

_"Perfect. I'll send a servant every hour or so to come and leave food an-"_

_"They want you to deliver it instead."_

_"Excuse me?"_ _Taeyong_ _looked back at_ _Jaehyun_ _in disbelief. "I can't deliver the food every hour, I have duties to take care of and also a guest who will very likely not stop bothering me after yesterday's events, and also my pending answer for the engagement as well as-"_

 _"He says,"_ _Jaehyun_ _gestured to the red orange dragon who somehow seemed to have a smug look on his face, if that was even possible for a dragon, "that if you don't deliver it yourself, then they have no reason to trust you and will kill you in your sleep."_

_"What?!"_

_"And that the food better be delicious beyond belief."_

_"But-"_

_"As well as more blankets and pillows to create a nest on your bed, since they'll be taking over it when you're gone and possibly when you're back for the night."_

_"It's MY bed though-"_

_"They also want shiny objects to hoard. They get uncomfortable if they don't have a stash. They said they'll start with your jewelry."_

_"NO-"_

_"And do you possibly have a goat? They want one to play with while you're gone."_

_"A real one?!"_

_"Do you also have a horse to-"_

_"ENOUGH!"_

_All dragons, even the sleeping one, turned their widened eyes towards him._ _Taeyong_ _felt his courage shrink a little under their unsettling gazes, but he was a king goddammit! He wasn't about to be a pushover for dragons, no matter how majestic and much MUCH bigger they were than him._

 _He sighed out heavily, pushing his covers off and swinging his legs over the bed to stand up on the cold floor, the red dragon growling softly at him while backing away when he had gotten off the bed. "Look, you can all stay in here for the time being, but I am a king and that means I won't have time to act as a maid for you two, as well as an errand boy for useless things that you won't need. You can have my bed while I'm out, but once I return, I'd like to have my bed back. If you want a bed of your own, just tell me and I can have someone bring you one, so you won't have to sleep on the floor during the night. Now, I need to go wash up for breakfast, and as for you_ _Jaehyun_ _..."_

_The man raised an eyebrow._

_"Your uniform is on that rack over there. Today's your first day as my personal guard and you'll address me as 'your majesty' in front of others, unless we're alone, then you have my permission to drop formalities. Understood?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Good, now get changed. I'll be out in a moment."_

_And with a hidden terrified breath_ _Taeyong_ _had been holding, he made his way to the bathing room, not noticing a satisfied grin gracing a certain golden dragon's face._

_~_

_"I didn't know your majesty had a personal guard? Is he new?"_

_When_ _Taeyong_ _and_ _Jaehyun_ _had made their way towards the dining room, they weren't expecting king_ _Ruhyuck_ _to already be awake and seated, delicately munching on some delectable cut up fruits._

 _When the king had seen them enter, he quickly arose, making his way towards_ _Taeyong_ _with arms wide open and a wide smile, almost looking forced on his face._ _Taeyong_ _tensed immediately, not wanting to be touched by the man that was secretly planning on declaring war on his kingdom._

 _And as if to sense his unwillingness,_ _Jaehyun_ _swiftly stood in front of_ _Taeyong_ _, blocking the king with a polite hand to stop him from coming any closer. "Excuse me, but it is impolite to greet the king with a familiar greeting instead of a formal one, your majesty. I suggest you apologize for spooking his majesty, King_ _Taeyong_ _."_

 _Ruhyuck_ _looked at the guard skeptically, sizing him up, despite being a bit shorter than_ _Jaehyun_ _, but not by much. That's when he asked his question with a suspicious undertone to show that he didn't trust the man in front of him._

 _Taeyong_ _cleared his throat before speaking, coming out from behind_ _Jaehyun's_ _broad form. "No, actually. This is Sir Jung. He has been with me ever since I was announced king. Yesterday he wasn't with me because he had to take care of some business outside of Emerald City on my orders. He just arrived last night when everyone had already gone to their quarters for the night."_

_"Oh," the king said, looking a bit embarrassed, giving the other a close lipped smile, "well then. A surprise for me this morning. Well, greetings to you Sir Jung."_

_"Likewise."_

_"Your majesty, would you like to join me for breakfast this morning?"_ _Ruhyuck_ _asked less cheerfully then when_ _Taeyong_ _first saw him today, eyes flicking back between_ _Jaehyun_ _and_ _Taeyong_ _._

_"Yes, I'd be delighted to."_

_~_

_After breakfast,_ _Taeyong_ _excused himself with the pretense of having to resolve some matters in the city. He wasn't entirely lying. He did have some matters in the city, however it wasn't a conflict he needed to resolve. More like a friendly visit to a dear old friend._

 _After_ _Taeyong_ _had told his guards that he wouldn't need anyone but one accompanying him today, they both set off._

 _When_ _Taeyong_ _was sure he was out of sight from the castle, he took a secretive route towards an empty shed, ordering_ _Jaehyun_ _to be a lookout for anyone suspicious as he went inside and locked the door._

 _Jaehyun_ _did as he was told and after a few minutes, the door was unlocked and out came_ _Taeyong_ _, but instead of wearing his royal clothes he donned that morning, he wore simple peasant clothes instead, a black cape settled snugly around his shoulders._

_"Alright, your turn?"_

_"My turn?"_

_"Yep. We can't be walking around the city looking like flashy conceited nobles. We have to blend in. Now go, change, there's a spare of clothes that'll probably fit you in there. I'll wait out here."_

_Without objection,_ _Jaehyun_ _entered the shed and a few minutes later, he walked out._ _Taeyong_ _, desperately, tried not to ogle the other's body with how tight fitting the clothes ended up being, but the way his chest jutted out and his muscles rippled under the clothing made_ _Taeyong_ _blush like a young girl with an embarrassing crush._

_"Are you alright?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"Your face is red. Do you feel sick?"_ _Taeyong_ _just wanted the earth to open up and swallow him that instant, breath completely gone when the other walked over to him to put his hand on his burning forehead._

_"Are you sure you just don't want to head back. Your face is hot."_

_With an awkward laugh,_ _Taeyong_ _gently pushed the other's hand away, shaking his head while trying to clear his mind. "Y-yeah, I'm okay. I think maybe walking around the city will do me some good. Now, c'mon we have to meet someone."_

_"Who?"_

_"Let's just say we need to meet with a little birdie who can help us with a lead on where the dragons are being held."_

_Before they began their walk through the city,_ _Taeyong's_ _hood was drawn over his face so he wouldn't be stopped by anyone, as much as he wanted to greet and play with them. He had a mission right now and could not be distracted by the baker_ _ladies'_ _gossip and sweet treats they made just for him._

_Maybe later, he thought, unable to resist the delicious cookies and tarts._

_They had been walking for quite a bit before they turned a corner through a secluded back alley, the end of it opening to another part of the city._

_They shimmied through the tight space between the brick buildings, ending up on the other side that was just a bit darker than the rest of the city._ _Jaehyun_ _looked confused by the sudden change of scenery,_ _Taeyong_ _opting to tell him later about this part of his home._

 _Once they neared a tall ruined brick tower at the end of the street,_ _Taeyong_ _turned around towards_ _Jaehyun_ _, putting a finger to his own lips to tell the other to keep quiet when they entered._

 _Jaehyun_ _nodded and the followed the king inside, light barely making its way through the cracks in the holes in the brick wall. Wooden beams were barely staying strong in the ceiling, the lightest of winds making it creak and moan when they passed by._

 _Taeyong_ _calmly walked through the dusty ruins, not sparing a glance at all the bones, or even the spots of what looked like dried blood on the floor and walls._ _Jaehyun_ _was beyond confused at this point._

 _Then suddenly, two growls ripped through the silence of the tower, chains rattling and out came two large attack dogs, drooling and barking viciously at the two sudden visitors._ _Taeyong_ _and_ _Jaehyun_ _both had opposite reactions to the sudden appearance of the dogs._

 _Taeyong_ _stood still in place, not even flinching when they appeared, only turning to face the dogs which were only a few feet away from him, snapping their jaws as if ready to tear into his flesh._

 _Jaehyun_ _startled so hard, it would seem his body was about to fly through the ceiling with how hard he jumped. His pupils turned into slits and when the dogs kept barking and growling at them,_ _Jaehyun_ _then decided to scare them back._

_He let a loud growl rumble within his chest and escape his throat, walking closer towards the dogs who began to slowly back away and lay on their stomachs, heads bowing and pathetic whines leaving their snouts._

_Taeyong_ _didn't know what to do in that moment instead of being really impressed. The only one who could calm the dogs was the owner himself, and he could barely do it without a bribing of meat and a plethora of pets and kisses._

 _And speaking of the devil, the owner opened the door that was hidden behind the dogs, coming out into the dim lit clearing of the tower, staring at both men with intrigued eyes. Recognition flew over his gaze when he saw_ _Taeyong_ _, but then his face morphed into something that of shock when his eyes passed over_ _Jaehyun_ _._

 _When_ _Jaehyun_ _made eye contact with the stranger, his eyes widened a bit before becoming suspicious again. "You-"_

 _"And to what do I owe this pleasure of having you meet me after so long, your highness? Or should I say, your majesty, King_ _Taeyong_ _?" The man interrupted_ _Jaehyun_ _, instead focusing on_ _Taeyong_ _, a sinister smile on his face. His striking, long, platinum blond hair was tied up in a messy pony tail, big purple eyes holding a sign of mischief within them, lips curling up into a Cheshire grin._

 _He was donned in leather, beaded bracelets decorating his wrists with piercings of all kinds overtaking his ears,_ _Jaehyun_ _wondering how many he had in total. He was a bit shorter than the both of them_ _, but he seemed to be even more intimidating than the king and the dragon combined._

_"Drop the formalities, Yuta. I've come to ask you for help on something."_

_"Did you bring the payment?"_

_Taeyong_ _reached into his pocket, revealing a small brown leather pouch before coolly throwing it towards Yuta who caught it swiftly, immediately opening it and taking out a few gold coins, raising one towards the light and then putting it between his teeth before deeming it real, returning it back into the pouch._

_"Alright then, come in and make yourself at home while I go put this away."_

_Yuta spared another hard glance at_ _Jaehyun_ _before turning around and leading the two men inside. Lanterns were lit up everywhere inside the small space. The neat kitchen connected with the dining room, and only a hallway leading out towards two other doors where Yuta disappeared off to._

 _Taeyong_ _took off his cape and hung it on one of the hooks beside the door they walked through, going to the kitchen afterwards, taking out three ceramic mugs from one of the cabinets. "Do you want anything to drink? Water, tea, hot chocolate, sweet drink?"_

 _"Uh..._ _water's_ _fine, please."_

 _Taeyong_ _nodded while bringing out a pitcher and pouring it into all three mugs, bringing one to_ _Jaehyun_ _who had taken a seat at the dining table, looking around in a distrustful way. When he noticed that_ _Taeyong_ _had brought him his water, he thanked him quietly, staring at the king's retreating back, now taking out jars of herbs and what looked like spices._

_"Won't he be mad that you're going through his stuff? I don't think he meant that 'make yourself at home' comment quite literally."_

_Taeyong_ _laughed at_ _Jaehyun's_ _worried tone, not sparing him a glance while he continued to mix in the spices and herbs in each mug. "Yuta and I have known each other for quite some time now, so this is normal for me to do."_

_"Then if you're such great friends, why do you need to pay him?"_

_The_ _ravenette_ _let out a chuckle, bringing the two mugs over and placing them on the table and then walking back to put the jars back in their places, cleaning up a few stray herbs and speckles of spice that was left on the counter._

_"Just because we're friends, doesn't mean I'm not going to pay him. He may not do honest work, but he has been a big help in many occasions and I wouldn't exactly say his work is easy, so he definitely does need the money. And maybe a lot for the job I'm about to ask of him."_

_"I am curious to know what job it is this time, especially since you brought a friend."_

_Both Jaehyun_ _and_ _Taeyong_ _turned their heads towards the entrance of the hallway, Yuta leaning against the wooden arch with his arms crossed and a curious smile on his lips. He had taken off his leather jacket, a simple grey cotton shirt was revealed to be underneath. He pushed away from the arch, sitting across the duo while picking up his mug to take a long sip from his drink, licking his lips when he put the mug back down onto the table._

_"Alright, hit me."_

_Taeyong_ _sighed,_ _mentally_ _preparing himself for the long explanation he was about to give._

 _He told Yuta everything that had occurred the previous day. The sudden appearance of the_ _Rubenia_ _king, the large 'gifts', the proposal he still hadn't given an answer to, the impromptu ball his adviser had suggested and was organizing at this very moment, the discovery of dragons and the release of them, the discussion he had with_ _Ruhyuck_ _, then the talk with_ _Jaehyun_ _about his clan and the other dragons, the plan of declaring war on Emerald City, and how he had two adolescent dragons hiding in his room, not letting anyone in._

_Anyone._

_After_ _Taeyong_ _finished his explanation with a huff, he then began to speak about his need of_ _Yuta's_ _help. "I need you find out where they're keeping the dragons. I would try to do it myself, but_ _Ruhyuck_ _would get suspicious if I'm suddenly being interested in his home or any other matter that is not himself. I also know this job is a bit outside of your expertise, but will you do it?"_

 _There was a long pause,_ _Yuta's_ _eyebrows furrowed in concentration, taking in the story he had just been told._ _Jaehyun_ _narrowed his eyes at the other, noticing another emotion brewing in his eyes._

_Was it hurt? Relieved? Determined? Maybe even a feeling of discovery?_

_Jaehyun_ _just couldn't put a finger to it, but he knew there was something else the other was hiding besides that obvious fact that he was a-_

_"I'll do it."_

_Taeyong_ _let a relieved sigh, a small smile gracing his face. "Thank you Yuta, honestly. If you need another amount of payment, just send a message and I'll give it to you."_

 _"Will do, but for now," the blond turned towards_ _Jaehyun_ _, head tilted in a curious way, "tell me all you know about_ _Rubenia_ _and where they may possibly be hiding the other dragons."_

_~_

_When_ _Taeyong_ _and_ _Jaehyun_ _had returned to the castle, it was already late._

_Super late._

_They were already changed back into their previous wear, the adviser first greeting them at the entrance, fussing over_ _Taeyong_ _and how his absence the whole day was unacceptable and so what and what not._

 _When the adviser harshly tugged a strand of_ _Taeyong's_ _hair, making a noise of hurt leave his throat,_ _Jaehyun_ _immediately pushed away the scrawny adviser, a growl rumbling through his throat, golden eyes flashing._

 _The adviser and_ _Taeyong_ _both gasped in unison, for completely different reasons._ _Jaehyun_ _hadn't noticed he moved to stand in front of the king, a protective hand stretched out to gently push him behind him._

_"W-who is this, your majesty?" the adviser bumbled, not daring to look away from the dragon's vicious looking eyes._

_Taeyong_ _heaved out a sigh, putting a hand on_ _Jaehyun's_ _shoulder who visibly relaxed at the touch, the action a little odd to_ _Taeyong_ _, and walked out from behind his broad back, giving a reassuring nod to_ _Jaehyun_ _who nodded back, stepping back to be behind the king._

_"This is my new guard. He'll be with me at all times from now on."_

_"And where did you find him, your majesty? Were your other guards not up to your satisfaction?"_

_"They were fine, but I needed new meat to protect me. And his training surpassed the others by a landslide, so I decided to take him in as my new personal guard. Now, it has been a very long day, I'll be heading to my quarters now, goodnight to you."_

_And without waiting for a response,_ _Taeyong_ _and_ _Jaehyun_ _made their way to the king's quarters, ready to go over the plan they made with Yuta before retiring for the night._

_~_

_After they had found a map of_ _Rubenia_ _in the library and snuck it up into_ _Taeyong's_ _quarters,_ _Taeyong_ _and_ _Jaehyun_ _went through the plan again and again, the_ _ravenette_ _writing down everything they needed to do leading up to the ball. Yuta had mentioned that the best distraction was no better than the ball, the king going to be more occupied with his warm welcoming party than any of his war plans and the condition of the dragons._

 _As they began looking over the notes, mostly_ _Taeyong_ _just reading them over again for_ _Jaehyun_ _who didn't know how to read, two other figures began to make their over to the candle lit area, curious of what the king and the dragon were doing._

 _Taeyong_ _startled when a warm presence draped itself over his back, his body tensing up at the sudden being appearing out of nowhere._ _Taeyong_ _slowly looked up at_ _Jaehyun_ _who had a heart striking smile on his lips, a dimple beginning to peek out from his cheek, his golden eyes focused on something above_ _Taeyong's_ _head._

 _Taeyong_ _was a bit dumb struck by the other's smile. He had never seen it that wide before, especially when a dimple began to appear on his supple skin._ _Taeyong_ _really just wanted to reach over and poke it, his hand tingling to reach out to him._

_"What?"_

_"Huh,"_ _Taeyong_ _was pulled out of his thoughts, not having noticed that he was just staring at the other like a creep._

_"You were staring at me. Was there something you wanted to say? Did you think of something else?"_

_"Uh...no no, sorry I just...I blanked out. I didn't mean to stare you all...weird. I'm sorry."_

_Jaehyun_ _let out a small chuckle, a sound that brought a mysterious warmth to_ _Taeyong's_ _cheeks. Pull yourself together,_ _Taeyong_ _thought harshly, this is no time to be ogling at the...very...tall...gorgeous...dimpled smile...man..._

_Oh gods, he was losing it._

_"He's starting to like you, y'know?"_

_"Huh?"_ _Taeyong_ _asked dumbly again, not truly noticing the large presence behind him until now._

_"He told me not to say his name to you, but I'll just say that the onyx dragon is starting to warm up to you now."_

_Taeyong_ _turned his head to see two narrowed honey eyes starring him down from his bed, his peripheral showing him glinting black scales that reflected the light off of the candles on the floor. "And the other one?"_ _Taeyong_ _asked, smiling when the red dragon growled, lowering his head out of view to snuggle back into the sheets._

_"Not so much. But he'll get there."_

_The dragon draped over him chirped in questioning manner, his great head dropping over_ _Taeyong's_ _who struggled against the added weight._ _Jaehyun_ _laughed at his struggle, clicking his tongue at the dragon and motioning with his head to get off._

 _The dragon got off with an indignant huff, instead laying down behind the king, curling around him, head beside the king's body, still inspecting the papers on the floor with big curious eyes._ _Taeyong_ _couldn't help but coo at the adorable sight._

 _Without thinking,_ _Taeyong_ _raised his hand to pet the dragon, not noticing the other two tensing up and waiting for_ _Taeyong_ _to notice his own mistake. But then the dragon looked up at him with his beautiful blue and green eyes before closing them and laying his head on_ _Taeyong's_ _lap, a deep rumble coming from his chest._

 _Taeyong_ _let out a giggle, continuing to pet his scaly head and looking at the creature with fond eyes. "He seems sweet. Is he always like this?"_

 _"Not usually..."_ _Jaehyun_ _kept looking back and forth between the two, surprised at the docile display he was seeing. "He's usually a bit skeptical like that other one over there, but he's never really this...cuddly unless he really knows and trusts the other."_

 _"Wow. I'm glad he sees me as someone worthy enough to cuddle with,"_ _Taeyong_ _giggled again, the rumbling becoming louder._

 _Probably annoyed at the sight he was seeing, the red dragon jumped down from the bed, jogging over to the trio before growling in a threatening way towards_ _Taeyong_ _and then stomping on the other's tail, making him screech out in pain before tackling down the smaller dragon. They both began to growl and wrestle each other, making_ _Taeyong_ _flinch at every hit and scratch they took._

 _"Should we stop them?"_ _Taeyong_ _asked, panicked at the terrifying sight of two dragons looking like they were fighting to the death, although neither of them sported any bad life threatening scratches or big bloody holes._

_So that was at least good._

_"Nah, they'll tire themselves out soon enough. This is a normal everyday thing. Now c'mon, let's go over the plan one more time before we have to separate them."_

_"Oh o-okay. But you're doing the talking and separating. I don't wanna lose a limb."_

_Jaehyun_ _chuckled before bumping his head against_ _Taeyong's_ _. "Deal."_

_~_

_Throughout the week,_ _Taeyong_ _and_ _Jaehyun_ _disappeared off to_ _Yuta's_ _'lair', as he liked to call it, and worked on the plan on how to release the dragons without suspicions leading back to them. Yuta had luckily found illegal underground trading tunnels that had been abandoned, one specific route connecting_ _Rubenia_ _and Emerald City. It was the perfect way to sneak the dragons out of there, if_ _Ruhyuck_ _had them kept in_ _Rubenia_ _._

 _Taeyong_ _prayed that he did._

 _They also planned that during the party,_ _Taeyong_ _, to his utter dismay, would be the distraction. He would fancy and seduce_ _Ruhyuck_ _in any way that he could, distracting him from everything but the party._ _Taeyong_ _tried to reassure the other two that_ _Ruhyuck_ _would most definitely not pay attention to anything else but the ball, but they didn't want to take any risks so_ _Taeyong_ _was set to play the 'sexy distraction', as Yuta had so lovingly put it._

 _Yuta noticed a muscle tick in_ _Jaehyun's_ _jaw when he had mentioned wearing something suggestive towards_ _Taeyong_ _, who had sputtered and hit_ _Yuta's_ _arm several times, before blushing and refusing to follow his suggestion._

_The blond hid a knowing grin behind his hand before continuing on with the plan._

_When their discussions had finished early, they headed back to the shed to change again, but they were suddenly stopped by a little girl who grabbed the end of_ _Taeyong's_ _cape. When_ _Taeyong_ _turned around, he smiled at the girl._

 _He slowly kneeled down and greeted her in a soft voice, smile growing when she giggled at him. She comically leaned towards him with a hand around her mouth,_ _Taeyong_ _leaning forward too. "Are you the king?" she whispered, a knowing look in her precious meadow green eyes._

 _Taeyong_ _looked around to make sure no one had heard, before turning back towards the girl and cupping one side of his mouth. "I am."_

 _She gasped in glee, but_ _Taeyong_ _quickly shushed her, putting a finger to his mouth which she reciprocated. "But you have to keep it a secret, okay? You can't tell anyone that you saw me today. I'm on a secret mission and if you tell someone, some very bad people could find me."_

_"Oh no."_

_"_ _Mhm_ _, so you have to make sure you keep quiet, alright little one?"_

 _"I will. I promise." The little girl clenched her fists in determination, a cute pout set on her face, making_ _Taeyong_ _coo and caress her head. "Thank you. Now I have to go. Do you know where your parents are?"_

 _"Yes, they're over there."_ _Taeyong_ _followed the line of direction, seeing a panicked mother looking around before seeing them, quickly pushing past people to get to her daughter. When the little girl turned her head back around, she gasped._

_The king was no longer in front of her, just an empty space as if no one was there in the first place._

_~_

_The following week, also the week of the ball and the plan to rescue the dragons, was hectic._

_Taeyong_ _had been dragged out by his adviser to his fitting room, where he was to try millions of different outfits on for the ball. As well as masks since the coordinators decided to make it a masquerade ball._

 _Somehow_ _Jaehyun_ _got roped into it as well, as he was up on a small pedestal too, being measured by the designers. They kept fawning and complimenting him on his fine physique,_ _Taeyong_ _feeling an ugly little pang of jealously when a young designer kept feeling up his biceps._

_He huffed the thought away of strangling the girl, reminding himself that he shouldn't feel jealous over someone he was helping._

_Someone who was going to leave once he was returned with his clan._

_Someone who had a lovely dimpled smile and a boisterous laugh that just flooded_ _Taeyong's_ _body with an unrecognizable warmth._

_Someone who always bumped heads with him, even if they weren't making a deal._

_Someone who was always protecting him from the smallest of things, like walking into a wall or hitting his head on a low branch in the garden._

_Someone who was the translator between him and the two other dragons who kept warming up to him each day, now taking over his bed every night with him in it._

_Someone who just made_ _Taeyong_ _feel so so alive!_

 _The feeling of familiarity and happiness everytime he made eye contact with the dragon made_ _Taeyong_ _want to just hug him and keep him close. He had sometimes found himself daydreaming about a certain someone kissing him, but always immediately brushing those thoughts away, a faint blush taking over his cheeks, the blush becoming stronger when the dragon asked if he was sick while putting the back of his hand to_ _Taeyong's_ _head._

 _He had also found himself actually dreaming it too. One night he had dreamt of being cuddled by a warm bigger body and when he turned around, he was face to face with_ _Jaehyun_ _, a golden eye peeking open from his sleep. Dream_ _Taeyong_ _couldn't help but chuckle at the cute sight, scooting closer to the dragon to place a hand on his soft cheek, a bracelet with shimmering golden beads strung on it, gently rolling down his wrist._

_He was a bit confused by it at first, not knowing when he had ever gotten that bracelet, knowing it was never in his jewelry box. His thoughts were then interrupted when he felt tickling kisses being placed on his neck, making him cringe away with a squeal._

_Dream_ _Jaehyun_ _let out a deep chuckle, shivers running through_ _Taeyong's_ _body when he heard the sound so close to his ear. When_ _Taeyong_ _turned his head, he gasped at how close he had gotten,_ _Jaehyun's_ _forehead touching his, his lips centimeters away from the other's._

 _And with a small smile,_ _Jaehyun_ _leaned in to connect his lips with_ _Taeyong's_ _._

 _When that had happened,_ _Taeyong_ _had accidentally flung himself off the bed, taking his bed sheets with him and waking up two startled dragons who had looked at him with confused expressions from above on his bed._

_He groaned out in embarrassment and pain, his butt still tingling from his harsh fall. Never again, he thought bitterly._

_"Ow!" A sharp point poked him in the side, bringing him back from his dream a few nights ago to the sunny fitting room where dozens of clothes, shoes, and accessories were draped all over the furniture._

_The designer working on him apologized profusely, which he kept reassuring to her that he was fine, just a bit surprised._

_The rest of the day went by slowly._ _Jaehyun_ _had somehow finished earlier, probably because he didn't need to wear too fancy clothing compared to the nobles. Instead of heading back to_ _Taeyong's_ _quarters to work and go over the plan, he ended up staying in the fitting room, keeping the king company and asking him if he liked certain outfits when he began to try them on._

 _Taeyong_ _was grateful for the other, even if he was getting playfully ridiculed for all the extravagant wear he wore one after the other. Puffy skirts, suffocating ruffs, tight corsets, tall tall boots, excessive jewelry covering his ears, neck, fingers, and wrists, stiff velvet trousers that left nothing to the imagination, making_ _Taeyong_ _blush profusely, and many more items that the king wore that_ _Jaehyun_ _forgot to count._

 _After awhile, the sun already falling down towards the earth, the skies painted with wondrous blues, pinks, and purples,_ _Taeyong_ _came out from behind a screen, stepping onto a pedestal and looking at his new outfit in the mirror._

 _Jaehyun_ _was awestruck this time._

_The king wore a white off shoulder shirt with puffy sleeves tightened around the wrist, the shirt tucked into high waisted black leather pants with a corset around it, small white laces on each side of the corset, black wedged booties that gave the king some height, and to top it all off, a dramatically long, sheer, deep, velvet green cape was attached to the back of the shirt, decorated with silver stars of all shapes and sizes that glimmered in the sunset pouring through the windows._

_It was utterly beautiful._

_He was utterly beautiful,_ _Jaehyun_ _thought, surprised at his own thought when he saw the king in all his fancy garb._

_"-you think?"_

_Jaehyun_ _was pulled out of his head, looking at_ _Taeyong_ _with wide eyes, not catching what he had asked him._

 _"Huh," he asked dumbly, bringing back a bit of deja vu of when_ _Taeyong_ _had done the same thing._

 _"What do you think? Do you like this one? Or are you just gonna make fun of it too?"_ _Taeyong_ _smiled coyly, crossing his arms, waiting for the joke to come out of the dragon's mouth._

 _"Uh...it's...great. I-I like this one."_ _Jaehyun_ _mentally slapped himself. Quit tripping over your words, he yelled mentally, getting up and walking over to the pedestal to stand right in front of_ _Taeyong_ _whose bright green eyes were widened, probably not expecting_ _Jaehyun's_ _answer._

_"You look wonderful. You'll capture everyone's attention that night. I just know it."_

_Golden eyes met green ones, not once leaving each other's gazes, lost deep within each other's souls, not realizing that they were slowly intertwining like tree vines, forming strong bonds that if ever broken, it could possibly be the end of everything in existence._

_~_

_Today was the day._

_The day of the welcoming ball._

_The day of the plan going into motion._

_The day of_ _Jaehyun_ _leaving him._

_Forever._

_He must've been thinking out loud because a familiar chirp met his ears, along with a powerful nudge almost knocking him back onto the bed. A little surprised noise left his mouth, making him turn to see the black dragon nudging him again with his big head._

_He chuckled at the cute sight, petting the dragon while cooing at him. "I'm okay. Just a little afraid about tonight. I don't want things to go wrong and I want you both to be able to return to your clan and your home. I know you're getting tired of staying in here all day. Especially you, Red."_

_Since he still didn't know the names of the two dragons, he just decided to give them names based off their colors. The only ones he could come up with were Onyx and Red, Onyx not minding the name, but Red growling everytime he heard it. Today was no exception._

_The familiar growl ran through the quiet of the morning,_ _Taeyong_ _turning around to meet honey narrowed eyes, always the same look given towards him, and he returned the look with a big smile. Then he remembered something._

_"Oh! I almost forgot! I got you both presents."_

_Taeyong_ _felt an excitement build up within him when he began searching through his small coin pouch. With a victorious "ah-ha," he grabbed two little trinkets for the dragons and made his way back to the bed, grinning when the dragons began to sniff his hands, pupils wide with curiosity to see what he held._

_"Alright for you Onyx, I got you a bandana. I always see you playing with pieces of my clothing, so I decided to give you this to play with. Or wear, whichever you choose."_

_Onyx began to wiggle his bottom rapidly, his mouth open for his tongue to loll out, imitating a dog. "Can I put it on you?"_ _Taeyong_ _asked, grin becoming wider when the dragon nudged his head against his legs, almost knocking him over again._

 _"Okay, okay"_ _Taeyong_ _giggled, kneeling down to unwrap the pastel green cloth with cute daisies and sunflowers knitted into it, a special request he asked one of the designers to make for him. He stretched out the cloth and carefully wrapped it around one of the dragon's front legs, double tying it so it wouldn't fall off if he was to play with it._

_"There."_

_Onyx lifted up his leg to inspect it, tail beginning to wag faster, the end of it hitting_ _Taeyong's_ _bed. He showed Red who sniffed at it in wonder and then began to nibble on it, only to get a scandalized squawk and then growl thrown at him._

 _Before Red could throw himself at Onyx,_ _Taeyong_ _took out the other present. "Red, I have something for you too."_

_Hearing his temporary given name, he looked over at the king to see him holding something in his hands. It was a long gold chain with small jewels that sparkled beautifully in the morning light attached to the end of it. Red made a noise of confusion, leaning his head slowly to inspect the trinket._

_The curious snout poking at_ _Taeyong's_ _hands were a bit ticklish so to suppress a laugh, he took away his hands to carefully pick up the chain and pull it from the package, showing it fully to the dragon's whose tail began to wag softly on the bed,_ _Taeyong_ _smiling at the action. "Can I put it on you too? Please?"_

_The question seemed to throw the dragon off, his pupils becoming slits again and one end of his lips curling up in distaste. He was about to turn around and ignore the man, but then Onyx jumped onto him and growled playfully, nudging him towards the king who still held out the trinket._

_With a human-like sigh,_ _Taeyong_ _forgetting for one second that he was speaking to a dragon, Red scooted closer to the end of the bed, closing his eyes so he could let_ _Taeyong_ _place the chain on him._

_With a mental cheer to himself, he put down the package on the bed, letting the chain dangle as he gently began to wrap it around one of Red's small horn that curled behind his head. When he closed the clasp to make sure it wouldn't fall off, he backs away with a triumphant smile. "Ta-da, all done."_

_Red opened his eyes, hearing a small chain clink near his head. When he heard it, he began to move his head more rapidly, starting to like the sound of the chains against his horn. Excited by his new present, he jumped down from the bed and made his way over to_ _Taeyong's_ _large mirror, leaping onto the pedestal to admire his new jewelry._

 _A purring coo started to leave the dragon,_ _Taeyong_ _gasping out in shock, not used to hearing other than a growl leave Red. It was the most cutest sound he ever made,_ _Taeyong_ _wanting to hug the dragon, but he stopped himself, knowing that Red still didn't trust him yet._

 _As Onyx and Red began to admire themselves together in the mirror, a knock was suddenly echoing through his room. "Come in,"_ _Taeyong_ _said, already knowing who it was._

 _When the door opened,_ _Jaehyun_ _walked in with a plate on his hand, smiling at the king with his fatal dimples ("be still, my heart" whimpered_ _Taeyong_ _to himself) and handed the plate to the smaller, who took it with a confused look in his eyes. "I figured you'd like to go over the plan this morning since you're going to be busy all day preparing for the ball."_

_"Oh...yes, thank you. Have you eaten already?"_

_Jaehyun_ _nodded, encouraging_ _Taeyong_ _to begin eating while he went over to the king's desk to begin pulling out their written plans, bringing them over to the bed, scattering them across the sheets._

 _Taeyong_ _didn't notice that he had started to slowly lower his hands, the plate leaned against his lower stomach, high enough for the dragons to begin stealing pieces of meat and fruit off his plate as he paid attention to the golden dragon. When_ _Jaehyun_ _noticed this, he began to scold them in which they started to whine, butting their heads against_ _Taeyong_ _so he could give them his food._

 _Taeyong_ _giggled at the cute creatures, feeling bad for them so with a shushing gesture, he quietly set down the plate on the floor when the other wasn't looking, snickering to himself while he made his way around the bed to look the plan over again. Even if they had already memorized it by heart now._

 _If_ _Jaehyun_ _somehow knew about_ _Taeyong's_ _sneaky plan about giving away his food to the hungry little heathens, he didn't show it. However,_ _Taeyong_ _did miss the small smile given towards him, a little sparkle of something else glinting in_ _Jaehyun's_ _golden eyes._

_~_

_The ball began when was sun was fully asleep, the earth now graced with the presence of the velvet blue sky and the moon with her children of stars._

_To say_ _Taeyong_ _was nervous was an understatement._

_He was a complete wreck!_

_Despite being occupied with the greeting of his guests, his mind would stray elsewhere, praying to all the gods and goddesses above for the success of tonight and sending all his mental strength towards Yuta who was probably already on his way, according to the plan._

_The plan._

_The plan t_ _hat he was still reciting right now, even as he greeted the next guest with the most artificial smile he could come up with. At least_ _Ruhyuck_ _was enjoying the start of the party,_ _Taeyong_ _thought bitterly, not really wanting to be there right now, but he was an important asset for tonight._

_He was the distraction._

_The 'sexy distraction' as Yuta had reminded him a million times when_ _Jaehyun_ _and_ _Taeyong_ _had gone over to his lair._

_Despite not caring one bit about the ball, he was indeed impressed with his adviser and coordinators, the ballroom decorated to its finest, as well as the entrance and the last minute accommodations for all the long traveled guests._

_The green and gold decorations lined the walls and tables throughout the ballroom, the chandeliers high in the ceiling reflecting the pretty colors. Even_ _Taeyong's_ _makeshift throne was decorated to its finest, the whitest roses from the garden looped around to make a graceful arch over it, gold glitter spread throughout it to give it a bit of shine. The cooks and bakers did a marvelous job on the menu as well, a long table filled with nothing but delicious delicacies, wines, and sweets._

 _Usually_ _Taeyong_ _would sneak away some cookies, but tonight he was afraid his stomach would throw everything back up from how hard his nerves were twisting in anxiety._

 _The only thing that kept him sane was seeing_ _Ruhyuck_ _enjoy the party to its fullest, flirting with princesses, princes, practically everyone from nobility. That put_ _Taeyong_ _a little bit at ease, knowing he probably wouldn't have to do much to keep him distracted._

_Especially with the way he whispered into the guest's ears, making them giggle and blush at his words._

_Ugh,_ _Taeyong_ _thought, rolling his eyes, when I reject him, he can always propose to one of them. He'll be okay anyways._

_"You seem to be enjoying the party?"_

_Taeyong_ _turned his head to see_ _Jaehyun_ _decked out in a fancy black and gold suit, simple black mask drawn over his face. Even when he couldn't see the other's face fully, he was still drawn in by his beauty, golden eyes popping out even more with the black mask surrounding his gaze._

 _Taeyong_ _blinked a few times to gather his thoughts, not wanting to trip over his words again just because he lost his composure over the dragon's lethal beauty. "Well, I'm actually nervous. Can you tell?"_

_"I can, but your guests don't seem to think so. Especially with how they've been talking."_

_"Oh? Please do enlighten me about their statements."_

_Jaehyun_ _chuckled, a small smile gracing his perfect lips._

 _Oh my gods_ _Taeyong_ _, get it together!_

 _"Well that man over there,"_ _Jaehyun_ _subtly pointed to a stout chubby man with a thick grey beard, crumbs clinging to it while laughing boisterously with a group of other nobles, refilling his wine every second, cheeks already pink with it._

 _"Ah, Lord_ _Eungis_ _. What has he said?"_

 _"'Well, I see that his majesty, King_ _Taeyong_ _, hasn't decided to change his face after many months. Maybe King_ _Ruhyuck_ _will change it for him.'". Taeyong_ _should've been furious with his words, but the way_ _Jaehyun_ _pitched his voice to sound like a snobby noble just made it impossible to care._

 _And that wasn't anything new coming from Lord_ _Eungis_ _as he had said similar things before in the past._

 _"Ah good ole Lord_ _Eungis_ _. I wonder how his wife has been doing. As well as his many mistresses. Maybe I should send his wife a letter,"_ _Taeyong_ _stated coyly, sending a smirk towards_ _Jaehyun_ _who returned it, both turning their heads to wave politely towards Lord_ _Eungis_ _, who visibly gulped at the evil glint in their eyes._

_"Who else?"_

_"That one over there."_ _Jaehyun_ _nodded his head towards a gorgeous princess with long blonde curly hair, her pink dress glittering lovely in the light, giggling along with a group of other girls who listened intently to_ _Ruhyuck's_ _words._

 _"Oh goodness, Princess_ _Shinda_ _, the most loveliest, but not the most brightest of the bunch. What did she have to say about me?"_

_"'I just think that if he wiped that scowl off his face, he'd be worth considering. But I'll probably still have to woo him to please my father. Ugh, what a pain.'"_

_"Like I'd ever think of getting with her. Ha, I at least have some taste in people whereas she only sees money!"_ _Jaehyun_ _chuckled at_ _Taeyong's_ _blatant disgust towards the idea of getting with the princess._

_"This is fun! Who else?"_

_"Alright, well that one over-"_

_"Good evening, your majesty! You as well, Sir Jung."_ _Ruhyuck_ _walked over to the king and dragon, flourishing his arms in a friendly manner, holding two goblets in each hand, smile so radiant,_ _Taeyong_ _thought he'd go blind._ _Taeyong_ _could see his cheeks pink and his eyes a bit hazy through his red and gold feathered mask, wanting to flaunt his status as always._

 _"Good evening, your majesty," replied_ _Jaehyun_ _, back to his cold and protective persona, bowing his head towards the other king._

 _Taeyong_ _politely smiled, gingerly taking the offered goblet of wine, bowing his head in thanks. "Good evening,_ _Ruhyuck_ _. I see you seem to be enjoying the party."_

_"As a matter of fact, I truly am. Your coordinators did a fantastic job on this night, give them my thanks if you will. However, I do see that you're just standing here, looking gorgeous as a gem, as always, and I wonder why?"_

_Taeyong_ _felt a little uncomfortable with the way_ _Ruhyuck_ _towered over him, coming too close to him. Close enough he could smell his breath, confirming his suspicions that the other was indeed drunk or on his way to be. Thankfully,_ _Jaehyun_ _subtly stood in front of him, gently pushing_ _Ruhyuck_ _back, the drunk king giving them both a startled look when he lost his balance, wine toppling over the lip of his goblet, staining his sleeve._

 _Taeyong_ _looked down in his goblet to see something odd inside; a little black ball, fizzing away completely._ _Taeyong_ _had thankfully looked at it before it could disappear, knowing just one sip might have been put him in danger._

 _As_ _Jaehyun_ _tried to straighten the other king,_ _Taeyong_ _tapped a servant's shoulder to get her attention, telling her to throw away the goblet's content, before turning back towards the mess that was the other king._

 _"King_ _Ruhyuck_ _, would you care to dance?"_

 _Both men turned to stare at the king, one confused and the other happy. Happy in a conceited kind of way. "Well,"_ _Ruhyuck_ _started, straightening himself up as much as he could in his state, smile getting impossibly bigger, almost too big for comfort, "I'd love to, your majesty."_

 _Taeyong_ _nodded towards_ _Jaehyun_ _, passing him while giving him a specific signal that only he understood, while letting the drunk king take his hand, leading him towards an open spot for the synchronized dance taking part in the middle of the ballroom._

_After they had both passed him, the dragon immediately slipped out of the ballroom, no one taking notice. As he made his way through the castle and into the garden, he slipped through the maze, finding his way back easily to the middle where the fountain was located, Onyx and Red there waiting for him._

_And as the night continued on in the ballroom, no one took notice of the three large beasts taking flight over the the city, on their way to hopefully be reunited with their clans._

_~_

_When_ _Taeyong_ _had awoken the next morning, he instantly sighed out in relief._

 _The party had gotten way out of hand with the wine. The music became livelier, the dancing more fast paced, the talking and laughter seemed to grow in volume, everyone decided to take off their shoes and to_ _Taeyong's_ _horror, some decided to start flinging undergarments._

 _This behavior didn't seem normal to the_ _ravenette_ _, so as everyone was stumbling throughout the ballroom, laughing or crying, whichever emotion they were feeling at the moment,_ _Taeyong_ _told some of the servants to check up on the wine and to see if it was spiked._

_Indeed it was._

_One of the servants came back with the same little black ball fizzing away on a napkin that he had found in his drink. He thanked them and told them to find out who was doing it, but before they could come back to him to give him an answer,_ _Ruhyuck_ _had decided that now was the perfect time to announce their not settled engagement._

_Oh it was a mess._

_Ruhyuck_ _began to gather everyone's attention, much to_ _Taeyong's_ _utter dismay, and he began to so eloquently fond over how perfect_ _Taeyong_ _was in every way, shape, and form. He stumbled over his words in his drunken state and it really amazed_ _Taeyong_ _how_ _Ruhyuck_ _was still able to kneel down on one knee and take out the ring intended for the_ _ravenette_ _._

_The crowd went wild._

_All of_ _Ruhyuck's_ _fans began to cry, the older nobles and councilmen began to shout their encouragement, and the rest of the guests just began to shout in excitement despite not really catching on what was happening._

 _And with every being of_ _Taeyong's_ _body, he couldn't have thanked the Gods enough for the mishap that befell_ _Ruhyuck_ _at that very moment. The man had suddenly stood up in haste, almost knocking heads together with_ _Taeyong_ _, and began to run towards a potted plant in a corner, retching everything he had consumed that night._

 _All the guests began to laugh at his misery,_ _Taeyong_ _joining them with his own feigned laughter, and with that, he headed in for the night, not being able to take wildness of the room any longer._

 _After_ _Taeyong_ _had finished bathing, clothes stripped off, makeup and mask removed from his face, his body flushing pink from all the scrubbing, did he make his way to his balcony, robe wrapped tight around his lithe body._

_The moon was bright overhead, casting long deep shadows throughout the city, making certain parts gleam with the lovely light. He sighed out in exasperation, not wanting to think about anything right at that moment, just wanting to enjoy the scenery instead._

_After a few minutes passed,_ _Taeyong_ _decided to head in for the night, until a crow dropped down onto the balcony ledge, a small paper scroll attached to his neck. It was from Yuta._

 _Yuta had always sent crows to be his messengers for whenever he was doing a job for_ _Taeyong_ _._ _Taeyong_ _quickly, but quietly, walked over to the crow, petting its head before gingerly taking the scroll from the string wrapped around the bird's neck. He sighed, not knowing what to expect of tonight, but with all his heart, he prayed that everything had gone alright._

_And when he opened the small scroll, there were only two words written on the parchment._

_'We succeeded'_

_Now it was morning._

_Taeyong_ _looked around the room, still feeling a buzz run through his skin, knowing that_ _Ruhyuck_ _already got word of it somehow. It felt like the calm before a storm, the silence of his room almost deafening. He knew he needed to face this head on, knew he needed to tell the arrogant king about his knowledge of his plans and also the drugging of the wine last night, knew he'd make an enemy, but_ _Taeyong_ _had a strong army and allies to help him in need if he were to ever ask for their help._

_So with a push against his bed, he swung off the sheets, already stripping out of his sleepwear to take his morning bath, not really ready to start the day, but pushing himself to get it over with._

_~_

_An accused scoff rang out. "Are you implying that I was to wage war on your land, your majesty?"_

_"No, I'm not implying, I'm stating."_

_"You-"_

_"We both know, your majesty, that you are just someone not to be trusted. Maybe you could fool others last night, but of course you couldn't fool me. You drugged the wine last night for reasons that I found knowledge about today. You intended to steal war tactics from other kingdoms as their leaders were enjoying themselves last night, as well as stealing their precious riches for reasons I have speculations about, but we won't get into that today."_

_"Your majesty, I-"_

_"I also of course had the liberty of getting your room checked and found these,"_ _Taeyong_ _held out several envelopes that were intended to be mailed to each one of_ _Rubenia's_ _allies, stating a plan to take over Emerald City and to have Taeyong_ _be his wedded soon. "Oh, and also these,"_ _Taeyong_ _reached in his pocket to take out a small pouch with a plethora of black little balls clinking together inside._

 _Thankfully his servants had found another bag of the drugs in_ _Ruhyuck's_ _room, delivering it to_ _Taeyong_ _that morning along with the letters they had found last night. His guards that were standing by protecting his room were drugged too with the wine, somehow gotten a hold on it. After that, it was easy passage for the servants._

 _Ruhyuck_ _stood stock still in place, eyes wide with the reveal of the letters and drugs as well as his plans to steal war secrets from other kingdoms._ _Taeyong_ _patiently waited for another excuse or maybe even an explanation, but nothing came._

_"And to add on to my list of things you intended to do, I also know you wanted to wage war on Emerald City with your legion of dragons."_

_Taeyong_ _tried not to take too much joy in the other's shocked face, turning around to hide his growing smirk, not noticing that shock has now turned into anger and the king was slowly but surely approaching him, body language speaking of ill intentions. It wasn't until multiple guards unsheathed their swords and stood protectively in front of him that he turned around to see_ _Ruhyuck's_ _fuming face, his body held back by swords inches away from impaling him._

_"What did you do?" the king asked in a low threatening voice._

_"Nothing you can prove. I, on the other hand, can prove you drugged the guests last night, as well as taking war secrets, and the intentions of waging war on my land and taking over it."_

_"Your majesty, maybe we could-"_

_"We will not be discussing anything since you have lost my complete and utter trust and have taken advantage of my hospitality. I don't plan on revealing any of this to the council, however I do expect you to return war secrets that you have stolen and for you to leave my land before the end of today, or I will reveal everything you have done to all the kingdoms, including the council. Do I make myself clear?"_

_Ruhyuck_ _seemed livid, but at this point he didn't dare try to save himself in fear of angering the king even more, especially with gaze that bore holes in his head, a gaze strong enough to cut through steel and diamond, a gaze that left no room for argument. And so with a defeated sigh,_ _Taeyong_ _knew he had finally won._

_"Crystal. I shall take my leave tonight, your majesty."_

_"And you are banned from ever entering Emerald City again. If anyone is to see you, you will be arrested on sight and brought back here for questioning, understood?"_

_"Yes, your majesty."_

_"Now leave my sight."_

_And with that, the_ _Rubenia_ _king retreated to his quarters, knowing he had been defeated by the ever underestimated "little" king in all the land._

 _Taeyong's_ _job was finished._

_~_

_A month had passed after the whole ordeal was over._

_The_ _Rubenia_ _king had listened carefully and not wanting to see if_ _Taeyong's_ _threats were true or not, decided not to step back in Emerald City in fear of angering the king._

 _Taeyong_ _felt a sense of pride everytime he looked at the little note that Yuta had sent that night, knowing everyone was safe._

_Onyx._

_Red._

_And..._

_"_ _Jaehyun,_ _" he whispered sadly in the empty dining room, barely having touched his food._

_Everyday he would look out into the garden, waiting, hoping, for an enormous golden beast to come swooping down and bump his head against his, maybe even turning human to give him a hug or even a-_

_Taeyong_ _quickly shook the thought out of his head, cheeks flushing at the thought of kissing the dragon. They were together for a few days, so why was he suddenly feeling like this? Like his whole world was just taken away? Like he couldn't breathe properly after his departure?_

_"Ugh"_ _Taeyong_ _groaned, pushing away from the table and walking angrily to his quarters. He needed to clear his head and to quit moping around the castle like a heartbroken adolescent. And what better place to clear his head than in the city?_

~

_"Yuta! Open up! I need you to come with me to the city!"_

_Silence._

_"_ _YUTA_ _!"_

 _Taeyong_ _drew his foot back, ready to kick the door down, still surprised_ _Yuta's_ _guard dogs hadn't ripped him to shreds already, still sleeping soundly on their beds behind him. When he was about to kick forward, the door was suddenly opened, making him stumble a bit before catching himself against the door frame._

 _"What took-and you're not Yuta..."_ _Taeyong_ _closed his mouth quickly to stare at the tall man that had opened the door instead of his friend. The man was lanky with silver hair and striking red eyes that just unnerved_ _Taeyong_ _to no end, plump lips and a cute elf-like ear that made the man less intimidating._

 _"_ _Sicheng_ _, who's at-oh._ _Taeyong_ _!"_

_Yuta had finally appeared in all his disheveled glory, hair sticking out in all directions, loose shirt that probably wasn't his from how big it was, hanging off one shoulder showcasing love bites of all sizes decorated around his throat, collarbone, and leading down his chest._

_Must've been a fun night for him._

_"Wanna come in?"_

_"Uh, y-yeah-yes please, if that's okay."_

_"_ _Psh_ _, of course."_

 _After getting settled down on their chairs, everyone already holding their mugs and already taken a few sips out of it, did_ _Taeyong_ _decide to start questioning the man of the hour._

_"Um, who's your friend?"_

_Yuta looked back at the man and then_ _Taeyong_ _, a small smile growing on his lips. "This is my...lover you could say._ _Taeyong_ _meet_ _Sicheng_ _,_ _Sicheng_ _meet_ _Taeyong_ _."_

 _Taeyong_ _stuck out his hand, noticing the odd look the other was giving him._ _Sicheng_ _slowly reached out to take his hand, but instead grabbed his finger and began to shake it wildly._

 _"Ow, okay okay," Taeyong_ _snatched his hand back, feeling a nostalgic feeling pass over him. When has this ever happened to him_ _befo_ _-_

 _Taeyong_ _gasped, startling both Yuta and_ _Sicheng_ _who jumped at his reaction, staring back at him with wide eyes._

 _"You!"_ _Taeyong_ _pointed at Sicheng_ _,"you're a dragon!"_

 _Everyone stayed silent until Yuta busted out laughing, a bit too forced. "What?! No,_ _Taeyong_ _what are you-"_

 _"He is! Cuz that's exactly what_ _Jaehyun_ _did when I first offered my hand for him to shake!"_ _Taeyong_ _pointed an accusing finger at the silver haired man, who looked back at him with blinking eyes then looking back to Yuta who looked close to passing out._

 _"_ _Taeyong_ _-"_

 _"Why is he here?"_ _Taeyong_ _asked, thoughts now all running amok. "Shouldn't...shouldn't he be with his clan? Was he...oh gods, was he one of the ones you saved?"_

 _Yuta just stared at him, eyes wide with fear. With a defeated sigh, he looked away, giving_ _Taeyong_ _a slight nod._

_"Yuta-"_

_"He's my mate."_

_"Y-your what?"_

_"My mate" Yuta repeated, more harshly now, daring the ravenette_ _to say something else that could possibly give him a reason to start a fight._ _Taeyong_ _didn't dare to insult, but he was still curious._

_"Like...as in soulmate?"_

_"Yes."_

_"But he's a-"_

_"Dragon, yes."_

_"...so..."_ _Taeyong_ _looked back at both_ _Sicheng_ _and Yuta, dots connecting and making up a scenario that made no sense at all, but_ _Taeyong_ _still decided to speak up._

_"Does...does that make you a...?"_

_"C'mon, spit it out, you're almost there."_

_"A...dragon?"_

_"Ding ding ding! And we have a winner! But yes, I indeed am...a dragon."_

_"And you kept this from me?!"_ _Taeyong_ _shouted in disbelief._

_"Well, sorry that I didn't trust you enough! You're a human!"_

_"So_ _Jaehyun_ _knew and you knew that he knew but-"_

 _"Yep and we still decided to keep it from you. Are you mad?" Yuta asked curiously, not seeming at all bothered anymore by letting out his secret, more interested in the emotions that_ _Taeyong_ _was going through right now on his dining table._

 _"Well...no, because I understand why you hid it from me, but...I'm just..."_ _Taeyong_ _sighed, gently dropping his head onto the table, groaning at the coldness of it._

 _Yuta and_ _Sicheng_ _stared at each other, shrugging their shoulders before Yuta turned his attention back to his moping friend, who looked too close to tears at the moment. "_ _Taeyong_ _?"_

_A questioning whine answered back._

_"Are you okay?"_

_An unsure noise._

_"Has_ _Jaehyun_ _not come back to the castle? Or sent a letter or something?"_

_A negative sounding response._

_"You know we could look for him, right?"_

_Taeyong_ _shook his head._

_"Don't you wanna see him again? It's been a month right?"_

_Taeyong_ _picked up his head, laying his chin down on the table, looking up at both dragons who gave him pitying looks, like parents would to a child who was hurt or sad. "Yes, but...I told him I wanted him to be free so he wouldn't be captured again and I don't want to go looking for him, I'll just look dumb."_

 _Yuta sighed, a smile taking over his face. He leaned over to pat_ _Taeyong's_ _head in a soft manner, smile widening at the pathetic whine the king let out. "Oh_ _Taeyongie_ _,_ _Taeyongie_ _, if only you knew."_

_"Knew what?"_

_"Nothing of importance now. However, I am curious as to why you showed up here today? Do you have another job for me?"_

_"Actually,"_ _Taeyong_ _sat up now, sighing harshly, "I wanted to explore the city again today, but I didn't want to be alone so I was gonna ask if you'd like to accompany me today?"_

 _Yuta smiled wide, nodding quickly. "Of course! I haven't gotten the chance to show_ _Sicheng_ _around so that sounds like a perfect plan! We'll just go get changed okay? Be right back."_

 _As they both left to go get changed,_ _Taeyong_ _nodded and sat there on the table, all alone now, nursing his mug while waiting for the two to come back out so they could leave._

_~_

_Taeyong_ _laid down on the maze ground, staring up at the star scattered sky, reminiscing over his day's events._

 _They had all gone out to the city,_ _Taeyong_ _greeting his people normally as always, not having noticed he had been away for so long. The people rejoiced at seeing their king, waving and yelling out their greetings when they saw him._

_The baker ladies especially rejoiced at seeing him. When the trio entered, it was like they had had a son coming home from a long war, one even cried at seeing him again, squishing his cheeks and cooing at him._

_They had all sat down to talk,_ _Taeyong_ _passing the tray of many sweet treats to Yuta who happily passed it to_ _Sicheng_ _who looked at them like they were a ticking time bomb. Yuta had explained that it was food and they both happily ate the treats as_ _Taeyong_ _talked to the baker ladies amicably._

 _When they were finally released, they decided to walk around the city some more,_ _Taeyong_ _still being greeted as usual, Yuta and_ _Sicheng_ _staring at him fondly, holding hands as they waited for him to finish his greetings and continue walking with them._

_At one point they made it to the center, a large field in the center of the city for everyone to enjoy their days in, an enormous oak tree in the middle giving plenty of shade when they hot days would come around. A large group had gathered, playing lively music and plenty of people dancing._

_Taeyong_ _not having danced in a while, joined in, cheers ringing out through the air when they saw him.Yuta and_ _Sicheng_ _joined in too, Yuta having to show_ _Sicheng_ _how to dance a certain choreography, but_ _Sicheng_ _just seemed content enough to be with the other._

 _Taeyong_ _smiled at that, liking the way they looked at each other when the other wasn't looking. But it also made him a tiny bit jealous._

 _Taeyong_ _shook his head, not wanting to be jealous over something small and unimportant._

_He was brought back to the maze again, staring at the same stars and constellations, already having named them all out of boredom. He didn't want to go back inside yet, knowing the 3 dragons he had been spending his days with weren't inside waiting for him._

_Despite only being with them for two short weeks, he felt like he had known them all his life. And he deeply missed their presence._

_He closed his eyes. Maybe the dark would help him clear his head and make him sleepy enough to send him back to his room where he could just knock out without having his thoughts invade his effort to try and sleep every 5 seconds._

_He heard a noise coming from somewhere behind him, but he ignored it, deciding it was probably some bird._

_As he relaxed on the grass, listening to the night owl hoot and the breeze calmly shaking the trees, he decided that maybe he could go to sleep like this, and wake up tomorrow to head inside instead._

_Then there was a noise again._

_His eyebrows furrowed, but he ignored it again._

_Maybe another animal._

_Then suddenly he felt a presence looming over him and then the warmth of something getting closer. He opened his eyes and was met with bright golden eyes, pupils wide with curiosity._

_"_ _Ahhh_ _!"_

 _Taeyong_ _quickly sat up, head harshly bumping against another's, hearing the other person groan out in pain as_ _Taeyong_ _clutched his head, groaning as well too._

 _"_ _Oww_ _..."_

_Then he remembered the eyes._

_Golden eyes._

_"J-_ _Jaehyun_ _?!"_ _Taeyong_ _quickly turned around to look at the person behind him and it was indeed-_

 _"Yeah, hi. It's me."_ _Jaehyun_ _turned around, still clutching his head where he had been hit, a smile on his lips._ _Taeyong_ _didn't know whether to cry, scream, or laugh, all the emotions brewing so deep within him he thought he could pass out right then and there._

 _So without thought, he ran towards the other, throwing himself only to be caught by him in a tight hug,_ _Taeyong_ _wrapping his legs around his waist and his arms tight around his shoulders. His scent brought_ _Taeyong_ _peace, feeling like he was high in the clouds, wishing to never come down._

 _Jaehyun_ _let out a chuckle, murmuring something in_ _Taeyong's_ _neck, making him cringe away from that area being a bit ticklish._

_"What did you say?"_

_"I said, I guessed you missed me huh?"_

_Taeyong_ _let out a wet laugh, pulling back to look at_ _Jaehyun_ _properly, seeing the other's brows furrowing in confusion, holding him up with one arm as he raised the other to wipe away_ _Taeyong's_ _tears, to which he hadn't noticed started falling._

_"Why...why are you sad? Should I not have come back?"_

_"No! No, not at all-I mean, yes I'm-just"_ _Taeyong_ _dropped his head on_ _Jaehyun's_ _shoulder, stopping himself from blubbering out more nonsense, emotions of all types running through him at the moment. Noticing his dilemma,_ _Jaehyun_ _sat down on the edge of the fountain, chuckling fondly at the king who gave up speaking._

 _When he felt_ _Jaehyun_ _take a seat, his cheeks began to warm at the compromising position he was in; legs straddling the dragon and arms still wrapped around his neck._

 _Not wanting to make anything awkward,_ _Taeyong_ _tried to slowly detach himself from the other, going to sit next to him on the edge of the marble fountain, but the dragon had a different idea in mind. He kept a firm grip on_ _Taeyong's_ _hips to keep him from moving, causing the_ _ravenette_ _to let out a squeak at his touch, cheeks becoming even more red in the dim light of the moon overhead._

 _He just prayed to the gods that_ _Jaehyun_ _couldn't see how this affected him greatly from the harsh flushing of his cheeks._

_"Are you mad that I returned?"_

_"Of course not,"_ _Taeyong_ _answered immediately, no room for uncertainty in his voice, "I'm just...really, really happy that you're here."_

 _Jaehyun's_ _brow furrowed. "Then why were you crying?"_

 _Taeyong_ _wiped the remains of tear tracks on his face, feeling silly now for crying. "I was just really happy when I saw you...because," he let out a deep sigh, feelings of loneliness and sorrow filling him up again, despite the dragon that he missed for weeks sitting right under him, literally, was right there in his arms, "I...I missed you. So, so much."_

 _Jaehyun's_ _lips curled upwards into a dazzling smiling, making_ _Taeyong_ _feel weak with how charming and beautiful of a smile it was, the king grateful that he was sitting down and not standing. "I missed you a lot too. More than you can fathom, my king."_

 _More warmth poured into_ _Taeyong's_ _already flaming cheeks, trying desperately to convince himself that he didn't like how his title was said, especially in_ _Jaehyun's_ _deep baritone that sent shivers through_ _Taeyong's_ _spine._

 _"I-I told you just to call me_ _Taeyong_ _, no need for formalities remember?"_ _Taeyong_ _tried to ignore that evil glint in_ _Jaehyun's_ _eyes along with the edge of_ _Jaehyun's_ _lip curling upward in a cruel teasing smirk._

 _"I know," he replied, getting closer the_ _smaller's_ _face, making him tense up at the sudden proximity, "but remember that a dragon likes to hoard things, and I like to consider you as mine, although you aren't officially...yet."_

 _Taeyong_ _gasped._

_MINE?!_

_What-what does he mean by-by-_

_Wait-_

_"_ _Wha_ _-what do you mean 'yet'?_ _Jaehyun_ _, wait, what-"_

_"But before we discuss that matter, I actually have important business to discuss with you."_

_"No, you cannot just divert the conversation into a different matter,_ _Jaehyun_ _! You have to continue with what you said prior, you can't leave me in the dark!"_

_"I can and I will, because right now, I need to ask you a very important question that could change the lives of everyone. Including you and I."_

_From the way_ _Jaehyun's_ _eyes turned serious, gaze steely and no room for argument,_ _Taeyong_ _shut his mouth and met the other's gaze with his own, knowing it was most likely a very important matter, as the other had put it, that he wanted to discuss with him._

_"Alright, ask your question."_

_Taeyong_ _let his leader tone seep into his voice and mind, knowing that if it was as important as the dragon said it was, then_ _Taeyong_ _was going to treat it as such._

_"Will you allow all of the dragons that were freed the night of the ball, stay in Emerald city for asylum for the time being?"_

_~_

_It had been a couple of weeks after the agreement to_ _Jaehyun's_ _question that Emerald city began to look a lot more different than it did before._

 _As the stories rang true, Emerald City indeed became a place thriving with dragons soaring through the skies freely._ _Jaehyun_ _had explained that since Yuta and he were a big help to freeing them, the dragons had made_ _Jaehyun_ _and Yuta leaders for their kind. Yuta had politely declined, explaining that he was happy enough with the return of his mate, but not the same was said for_ _Jaehyun_ _._

 _When he had asked his question, he was asking it from the perspective of a leader. A leader who was desperate to find a safe haven for his kind and of course,_ _Taeyong_ _agreed._

 _When_ _Taeyong_ _was brought by_ _Jaehyun_ _to the other clan leaders, he was a bit intimidated, seeing as the different colored dragons were still...well, dragons. And even though they varied in shapes and sizes, they were still way bigger than_ _Taeyong_ _. Some even bigger than_ _Jaehyun's_ _form._

 _Jaehyun_ _acted as the translator between the two, and with_ _Taeyong_ _speaking with his king mindset intact, the leaders decided that_ _Taeyong_ _was worthy enough for them to trust him, but only with the help of giving them safe haven. The leaders decided he would still need to show them that they could fully trust him and he had no opposition to that, knowing humans weren't exactly all that trustworthy._

 _The next day,_ _Taeyong_ _had made an announcement to his people._

 _They were shocked, to say the least, not knowing how to bear the fact that dragons were well, REAL, and also from their frightening appearances. The dragons as well were wary too, some getting into defense positions until_ _Jaehyun_ _told them to stand down._

 _Some of the fright was lessened when_ _Taeyong_ _explained as to why they needed to stay for the time being, the people still nervous around the enormous beasts. After the announcement,_ _Taeyong_ _had felt hopeless, not knowing how his people would react to such a drastic change. He even felt even more scared for the dragons, afraid that someone would try and take one to sell to another kingdom._

 _Taeyong_ _had been so close to breaking down, until he was tackled by not one but two beasts, seeing familiar trinkets dangle in front of his gaze. He gasped when he saw the familiar chain and bandana, sitting up quickly to see two happy wag tailing dragons with sparkling dilated pupils filled with pure joy._

_"Onyx! Red!"_

_To_ _Taeyong's_ _utter amazement, Red chirped happily, knocking his head harshly against_ _Taeyong's_ _, the latter exclaiming in pain, but ignoring the ringing in his head in exchange for hugging the red dragon who nuzzled his big scaly form in_ _Taeyong's_ _open arms. He heard a sad sounding whine from behind the dragon, looking over his head to see a pouting Onyx, eyes sad at_ _Taeyong_ _being hogged by the other._

 _Taeyong_ _giggled at the cute sight, beckoning the other to which he happily obliged, waddling over to gently,_ _Taeyong_ _ever so thankful, nudge his head against_ _Taeyong's_ _._ _Taeyong_ _felt like he was on top of the world, happiness overflowing his heart at the sweet gestures from the two big babies._

 _He heard a chuckle from across the room, seeing_ _Jaehyun_ _leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed, a sweet smile on his lips but an indistinguishable look in his eyes that_ _Taeyong_ _could not for the life of him, put a word to._

_"What?" the king on the floor asked cheekily, smiling widening when the dragon began to walk to the trio on the floor._

_"They missed you, you know? Especially Red. Though he didn't want you to know that," as_ _Jaehyun_ _finished speaking, Red growled loudly, turning around with fiery red scales rippling, curling into a position to attack, playfully jumping at_ _Jaehyun_ _to which the other cackled, catching the dragon and softly pushing him to the ground, continuing to play fight with him._

 _Taeyong_ _felt a heavy presence on his thigh, looking down to see Onyx laying his great head on it, watching the other two with content, something vibrating in his throat that the_ _ravenette_ _felt through his pant leg. Unconsciously,_ _Taeyong_ _began to pet the dragon, the vibrating getting stronger, strong enough to become noisy._

_"And you? Did you miss me?"_

_Jaehyun_ _looked up, golden eyes brightening in the sunset light,_ _Taeyong_ _sighing at how the pools drew him in, almost losing himself in the handsome dragon's gaze._

_"Dearly."_

_Taeyong_ _sucked in gasp too quick, throat closing up and causing him to start choking, coughs startling everyone, Onyx lifting his head and staring at_ _Taeyong_ _with wide green and blue eyes, Red and_ _Jaehyun_ _coming over to help him._

 _Jaehyun_ _kneeled down to begin patting his back, little chuckles leaving his mouth while signaling a servant for water. Tears gathered in_ _Taeyong's_ _eyes, his throat burning and trying his best to glare at the other, not really doing anything since_ _Jaehyun_ _laughed even harder, biting his lip to try and stop himself._

_It was a futile attempt._

_"You...are...a...meanie..."_ _Taeyong_ _spoke in between coughs, eternally grateful when a servant came back with a cup of water,_ _Jaehyun_ _helping in raising it to his lips._ _Jaehyun_ _smiled at his light insult, continuing to hold the glass until the other calmed down, handing the glass back to the servant._

_"I wasn't lying."_

_"You can't just-" cough, "say stuff like" cough cough, "that."_ _Taeyong_ _glared, not intimidating the other in the least._ _Jaehyun_ _let another chuckle leave his lips, rising up from his position, pulling the_ _ravenette_ _up with him._

 _"But I mean it,"_ _Jaehyun_ _began, leaning his head down to press it against_ _Taeyong's_ _, whose cheeks began to burn._ _Taeyong_ _wanted to pull away before his heart exploded before he felt something, more like someone, push him closer to the taller. He swallowed audibly at how close their bodies, and also faces, were now,_ _Taeyong_ _feeling like he would faint at any moment._

 _But before anything happened, much to_ _Taeyong's_ _chagrin, down below the open balcony window, screams of fright alerted the two men, startling them out of their thoughts. They both ran towards the balcony to see Red and Onyx flying down to where citizens were wandering about, a few children playing around in the city square._

 _"When did they leave?!"_ _Taeyong_ _exclaimed, the two dragons gone from their sight._ _Jaehyun_ _had backed up away from the balcony rail, stopping at the entrance, ignoring the king's question._

 _"_ _Jaehyun_ _, what are you doing?"_

_Golden eyes met green ones, one filled with reassurance and the other with fright and confusion._

_"Trust me."_

_And with those words,_ _Jaehyun_ _began to run and then proceeded to leap off the balcony, not listening to any of_ _Taeyong's_ _protests or screams._ _Taeyong_ _looked over the rail to see if_ _Jaehyun_ _had made it face first to the ground, heart pounding his ears, hands shaking on the rail, not remembering one important detail._

 _A huge shadow passed over the small king,_ _Taeyong_ _looking up to see an enormous golden beast gracefully flapping his wings to stay in the air, staring right at_ _Taeyong_ _, whose mouth was hanging wide open._

_Right, he's a dragon._

_Jaehyun_ _flew down closer to the balcony, turning his body around so only his back was visible. When a few seconds passed, he turned to look over his shoulder and made a gesture that shocked_ _Taeyong_ _._

_"You-you want me to get on?"_

_Jaehyun_ _nodded, wings still flapping to stay in the air, the wind making_ _Taeyong's_ _cape fly backwards, almost pulling him away. "Are you sure?"_

 _Slowly and gently grabbing one of_ _Jaehyun's_ _hard sun drop scales, feet still planted on the railing. "_ _Jaehyun,_ _are...are you sure?"_ _Taeyong_ _asked, still feeling uncomfortable about the whole ordeal, but still wanting to make sure this is what_ _Jaehyun_ _wanted and was okay with._

 _Jaehyun_ _turned to look back at him once again, giving him a deep look with his eyes, nodding slowly to show the king he was completely fine with him getting on. So with a deep and shaky breath,_ _Taeyong_ _said, "okay" and hopped on._

_He climbed all the way up his back until he sat down on a small divot connecting his back and neck, getting in a somewhat comfortable position, hands still attached to the golden scales. "O-okay, I'm ready."_

_Jaehyun_ _nodded once more, before taking off into the air,_ _Taeyong's_ _eyes widening before closing shut, arms unceremoniously wrapping around_ _Jaehyun's_ _neck to hang on, legs tightening around his back, heart and soul leaving his body, and then-_

_He heard a voice._

_'It's okay, you can open your eyes now'_

_Taeyong_ _gasped, listening to the voice straight away, looking around to see the sun slowly descending into Mother Earth, but making the whole scene he was seeing even more beautiful. He could see his city even more clearly now, the land bustling lively with his people, lamps already lit up, ready for the nighttime. The roofs of the houses were decorated in brown red tiles, glistening in the low sunlight, some even with patches of green moss that added more color to the city._

 _Even in the dark parts, there were still light hitting that part in a lovely way, shining through the shadows, the light reflecting off broken glass or stain glass portraits that brought an array of color to those parts._ _Taeyong_ _was in awe seeing all this below him._

' _I bet you've never seen your city this way before, right?'_

 _"No" whispered the king, close to tears at how seeing his home in a different angle and light made it even more beautiful. "I just...I can't believe this is...wait-"._ _Taeyong_ _hastily looked around for the owner of the voice, realizing that no one else was there with him up in the air._

_"Who-"_

_'Still haven't figured it out?'_

_That voice...it was so familiar to the king...a deep baritone...almost like-_

_"JAEHYUN?! Is that-is that you? Are you the one talking in my head?"_

_A deep chuckle that made Taeyong shiver reverberated in his head, making his suspicions correct. 'Yes, it's me. Took you long enough, your majesty'_ _._

_Taeyong was gob smacked. He felt like he had just uncovered all the secrets in his world, never believing that he would ever experience this in his lifetime._

_'Are you okay?'_

_Taeyong shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts, not wanting to worry Jaehyun anymore. So with a deep breath,_ _Taeyong_ _nodded before responding. "I'm okay. It's...it's just a lot to take in."_

_'I know. I probably should have warned you about this, but I was sort of in a rush'_

_"It's okay. I actually...like it. It feels nice to be able to talk to you while you're in this form. It's comforting."_

_A chuckle. 'I'm glad. Now, why don't we go find those two little rascals before they end up scaring all your people to death?'_

_Taeyong_ _let out a light laugh, remembering why he was up there in the skies on_ _Jaehyun's_ _back in the first place._

_"Yeah, let's go look for them."_

_Jaehyun_ _swooped down towards the city square, a crowd already surrounding what_ _Taeyong_ _thought to be where the two dragons were. There were a few shouts of fright along with the words to make space for the large beast to be able to land. When_ _Jaehyun_ _landed softly, as much as he could with his big form, everyone's eyes went back to look at the duo curiously, forgetting about the other too._

 _Jaehyun_ _stretched out a wing for_ _Taeyong_ _to be able to slide down easier, feeling much better when he landed on the ground. He looked around to see everyone's eyes still planted on either him or_ _Jaehyun_ _, looking at them in all kinds of emotions: awe, curiosity, fear, wonder, amazement and so many others flitting around their faces that_ _Taeyong_ _couldn't put words to them._

_He jogged over to the crowd to see what the two little dragons were up to, scared they had accidentally hurt someone, but when his people saw him approaching, they made space for him, revealing a very adorable sight._

_Both Red and Onyx were surrounded by children of all ages, small and large hands gently petting the scales in front of them. Even a baby had waddled over to Red to begin petting his snout, the baby giggling everytime Red's tongue would poke out to lick her little fingers, Red chirping in delight when he heard the cute sound._

_Taeyong_ _was interrupted from his thoughts when he felt someone pull on his pant leg, looking down to see a little girl holding a bear plushie in her hand._ _Taeyong_ _slowly crouched down to be in the same eye level as her, smiling at her with kind eyes. "Hello."_

 _"Hi" the little girl replied shyly, looking back at what_ _Taeyong_ _assumed was her parent, the parent giving her an encouraging nod to help her continue what she was going to say. She turned back around, her shy olive green eyes looking back at the king._

_"Are...are they yours?"_

_Taeyong's_ _eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"_

_The little girl pointed at the two dragons, still continued being petted but now all the children's eyes, as well as the adults, were on him, expecting his answer._

_So with a quaint smile, he turned back to the little girl and simply said, "no, they're not mine."_

_"Then, whose are they?"_

_"They're no ones, little one. They're just friends. Friends who wish to be free from mean people who would like to take them away."_

_"Is that why they're here?" a little boy shouted, startling the dragons a bit, but going back to petting them which brought them back at ease._

_"Yes. They need protection from those mean people and we all can help them if they stay here for a little while. Just until the mean people will go away for sure."_

_"I'll protect them." A taller girl spoke back with determination, a fire in her eyes to protect the dragons who looked up at her in awe._

_"Me too!"_

_"Oh! Me too, me too!"_

_More children began to speak up, raising their hands to show that they would protect their new friends,_ _Taeyong_ _speechless at how determined their voices and faces were. Then another voice chimed in, this one softer but was grown into maturity._

_"I will too."_

_Taeyong_ _turned around to see a women with soft eyes looking at the dragons and the back at the king with a smile on her lips, a promise resting her in gaze. After she had spoken up, everyone else around him began to speak up too, voices of all kinds, ranging from deep like the ocean to a melodious songbird to an old croak, but still powerful enough for_ _Taeyong_ _to hear loud and clear._

 _Taeyong_ _had slowly stood up to look each and everyone of his people in their eyes, feeling their genuine words in his soul, making his eyes sting with an onslaught of emotions. The king turned around to look back at_ _Jaehyun_ _who was surrounded by people slowly petting him as well, his gaze connecting with the dragon's._

 _'We're with you,_ _Taeyong_ _.'_

_'As am I.'_

_'Me too'_

_Two new voices appeared in his head, next to_ _Jaehyun's_ _deep baritone, these a light voice shining like the sun and the other a soft, but croaky soothing voice ringing in his mind._ _Taeyong's_ _head whipped around to face the two dragons, already seeing their eyes connecting with his, a playful glint in them._

 _'As you all stand by me, I will also stand by you too'_ _Taeyong_ _replied back, Onyx and Red shuffling over to him to begin throwing themselves, knocking him off his feet to begin giving him endless amounts of love and gross licks to his face._

_The children all began to laugh and enjoy the sight of the king being hugged and roughly snuggled into, joining in on the cuddle pile on the cobblestone ground._

_That night began as a new night filled with enjoyment and stories about their new friends who the people were willing to protect. The people began a bonfire in the middle of the square, shops staying open to accommodate the people who stayed out, enjoying each other's company as well at the dragons who slowly became curious about the crowd of people, flying down silently to land on the rooftops._

_A few people gasped at the sudden sight of dozens of dragons gathering around on top of the buildings, but then relaxed when the dragons just stayed put, just continuing to watch everyone else._

_As the night went on, more dragons had come around, some even daring to walk through the crowd, looking at all the people with curious eyes. There was one that had caught Red and Onyx's attention though, a black dragon with striking green eyes walked through the crowd of people like nobody's business, body moving like a cat's and with grace, head held up high until he was suddenly tackled to the ground._

_Everyone gasped at the sight, backing away from the three dragons on the ground, wrestling playfully together._ _Taeyong_ _walked over to see what all the fuss was about to be met with a dragon backing up into him, the dragon turning around quickly to look up at the startled king._

 _"Oh hello,"_ _Taeyong_ _began, slowly crouching on the ground, the sparkling slit eyes never leaving_ _Taeyong's_ _form, "my name is Taeyong, what's your name?"_

 _There was a moment of silence,_ _Taeyong_ _thinking he wasn't going to get an answer back until a soft voice floated through his mind. 'Ten. My name is Ten, your majesty.'_

_'It's okay, you don't have to speak formally to me. Thank you for telling me your name, Ten.'_

_The dragon's eyes widened a bit in surprise._

_'Oh wow, so it is true'_

_Taeyong's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

_The dragon looked around their surrounding before bumping his head against Taeyong's legs softly, motioning for him to begin walking. 'Come, I don't feel comfortable with people watching me'_

_So with a nod, Taeyong began walking with Ten, the dragon still giving off that intimidating aura if the crowd beginning to disperse a little too quickly was anything to go by. They walked in silence until they were mostly far away from large crowds, taking a nice stroll through the kingdom, passing closed shops and dimly lit lanterns, the cobblestone road barely seen through the low light._

_'Jaehyun wasn't lying when he said you don't like it when dragons speak formally to you, but expect it from nobles. Now why is that, your majesty?'_

_Taeyong let out a breathless laugh, looking up into the sky, wondering why it was the way he was. He then shrugged. "I guess...I just think dragons are above me and that they shouldn't in any way bow down to me, especially since humans are the ones who think that they can put you all in cages and deem it okay. I feel...uncomfortable when I hear it coming from...dragons."_

_'But not people?'_

_"I guess not."_

_'And if I were to turn into a human, would you still expect me to call you by your name, not your title?'_

_Taeyong looked up at the dragon, surprised to already see him looking back. His eyes glowed a little more in the darkness, almost like a cat's, and really, it should have spooked Taeyong, but in no way did he deem it frightening. Instead, it gave him an almost feeling of familiarity, as if meeting an old acquaintance._

_"I don't expect you to, but I'd rather you call me by my name, yes. If you'd rather use my title, then by all means go ahead."_

_The dragon stopped walking, turning to face Taeyong instead and a familiar glint of mischief glowed in his sparkling eyes, something that glowed in Red's eye often._

_'I think I'll just stick to your title, little majesty'_

_A tinkling giggle echoed in his head, feeling a warmth spread through his heart when he heard the lovely sound and before he could comment on Ten's words, a breeze hit his back, making the king turn around to see beautiful golden scales._

_Jaehyun._

_The dragon landed beside them, his form easily enough dwarfing the two, Taeyong already used to feeling small, but Ten seemed to feel offended. The smaller dragon leaped up, wings majestically flapping back and forth, blowing wind into Jaehyun's face who shook his great head, blowing a tiny fireball into Ten's direction._

_Taeyong gasped at the fireball hitting Ten, but the other seemed unbothered by it, continuing to fly higher over Jaehyun's head to gain height over the golden dragon. Jaehyun just shook his head and headbutted the smaller, a silent conversation being passed between them._

_After a moment, Ten looked towards Taeyong, nodding his head once in his direction and then saying, 'it was nice to meet you, little majesty' and off he went, blending into the night sky._

_Taeyong gave a little wave to the retreating figure before turning his attention back to Jaehyun, who was already looking at him with an untold emotion in his eyes. 'Are you ready to fly back home? Or do you want to stay some more?'_

_Taeyong walked back to look at his people, surprised to see more dragons had come out to look at the humans, some even sitting down around the bonfire, children and teenagers talking or petting them. More dragons had also lazed around on the rooftops, some even peacefully sleeping, probably not minding the way they were ogled at by passing bystanders._

_Everyone looked...at peace._

_"Yeah," Taeyong replied, turning back to Jaehyun with a smile, seeing the dragon already crouching low, wing stretched out, ready for Taeyong to hop on, "I'm ready to go back home."_

_~_

_When they had gotten back to the palace, Taeyong had quickly ran to his quarters to change into his night wear, and also to retrieve extra clothing, running back to be met with a nude Jaehyun, a blush furiously making its way on his face, handing them to the taller, who laughed at the obvious emotion planted on the king's face._

_"You'll never get used to it, huh?"_

_"N-no, I don't think I will."_

_After Jaehyun was fully dressed, Taeyong letting out a sigh of relief, they both began to walk back to their own separate quarters, but when Taeyong looked back to see Jaehyun's retreating figure, something burst within him._

_"Wait!"_

_Jaehyun immediately turned around, looking at Taeyong with expectant eyes when he saw the other's outstretched hand, reaching for him. "Yes?" he asked softly, walking over to the ravenette._

_"I..."_

_C'mon Taeyong, you've come this far, might as well go for it, he pushed himself._

_"I...do you think...um..."_

_Well this is just great, I can't even get the words out!_

_Jaehyun waited patiently, soft smile on his lips, not in any way, shape, or form rushing Taeyong. And that was enough for the king to be able to gather the courage to say his next words._

_"Do you want to sleep with me?"_

_A beat of silence._

_Taeyong panicked._

_"N-no! Not like-wait-not...oh my gods, kill me now! I meant like as in literal sleep, not the other-"_

_A sweet laugh echoed in the empty hall, making Taeyong stop his blubbering, blush deepening, Taeyong swearing he looked like a strawberry at this point. Jaehyun's chuckles didn't cease as he walked closer to the king, nodding with a dimpled smile on his lovely face, Taeyong feeling like jelly just staring at the beautiful being before him._

_"I know what you meant and yes," Jaehyun grabbed his hand, pushing the door behind them open, "I'd love to sleep with you."_

_Taeyong, not trusting his voice, nodded meekly, almost tripping walking inside his room. He would've face planted if it weren't for the grip Jaehyun had on him. When they made it across the room, to Taeyong's well made bed, they both stopped._

_It was now or never._

_Taeyong slowly pulled back the covers and delicately scooched in, his body noticing the weight of another body coming in behind him, warmth meeting his arm and side and when Taeyong pushed himself to turn around, he almost choked on his saliva._

_Jaehyun was already huddled under the blankets, sweet honey golden eyes meeting his own forest green ones. He hadn't noticed one bit at his very obvious staring until Jaehyun let out a small laugh, eyes crinkling up into crescents. "You flatter me."_

_"Oh, sorry, I just-sorry." God, Taeyong thought, mentally slapping his forehead, quit acting like such a creep!_

_"You do that a lot. Is it because I have something on my face or..." Jaehyun waited expectantly, an already knowing look on his face._

_"I just..." Taeyong decided to mumble his answer, lowering his head inside the blanket._

_"Huh?"_

_"Well, it's just that..." he mumbled again._

_Jaehyun fondly rolled his eyes, scooting even closer to the other, gently tucking his finger under Taeyong's head to raise it up, smiling at the other's widened eyes._

_"Speak a little louder."_

_Taeyong sighed, accepting defeat, not entirely ready to spill out his frail heart, but deciding again, it was now or never._

_"I...it's because...I like you."_

_His voice had gotten quiet near the end of his sentence, but from how close they were, he was sure Jaehyun had heard him, especially with how wide his eyes had gotten._

_"Sorry, that was stupid, ignore-"_

_Then without hesitation, Jaehyun closed the gap between them, soft lips meeting Taeyong's, heart bursting throughout his body and soul, eyes widening, mind going nuts, all words turned to mush at the unexpected events that were just occurring._

_His heart pounded in his ears, almost sure it would leap from his chest. Jaehyun pulled back suddenly, looking at the blushing and shocked king, mirroring his expression with his own face._

_"Sorry I just-"_

_"No! I didn't-I mean...I...liked it. A lot."_

_Jaehyun sighed in relief, a small smile making its way onto his face, looking for a lie in Taeyong's expression, relieved once again when he found none._

_"You did?"_

_Taeyong nodded, swallowing before leaning closer, "can you do it again...please?"_

_With a wide smile, so bright it outshone the sun, Jaehyun obliged, connecting his lips to Taeyong's, softly curling his fingers around the ravenette's neck, caressing his skin with his thumb, drinking in the soft moan Taeyong let out through their mouths._

_After separating when they both needed air, Jaehyun let his forehead rest against Taeyong's, eyes closed with a content smile. "I like you a lot too, my king" he whispered._

_Jaehyun's deep baritone sent shivers through Taeyong's spine, making the confession sound even more intimate. His emotions were flying all over the place, colors of all kinds floating through his very being, a bright warm feeling filling him up to the brim, he felt like he'd burst from it._

_The dragon seemed to be succumbing to the throes of sleep, seeing as he wrapped an arm around Taeyong's waist, pulling him close to his own warm body, asking in a quiet, sleepy voice if it was okay._

_When Taeyong replied his consent, the dragon nodded, tucking his head under the ravenette's before fully falling under, gone from the world awake and now in his own sweet dreams. With a kiss to the dragon's forehead, Taeyong wrapped his arms around the bigger body, joining him in falling asleep under the quiet night and the twinkling stars._

_~_

_Years had passed by peacefully._

_Emerald City had been declared the most greatest kingdom amongst the nation, ruled wonderfully by their kings, Taeyong and Jaehyun, married lovers who were celebrated everyday for their kindness and strength._

_The kingdom had made major changes to their way of living. Trading was now easier done with the help of dragons who were able to travel much faster through the air than on the ground. The skies would always be filled with the colorful scaled bodies of all kinds, traveling back from a job or leaving for one._

_Dragons would even help in the shops down in the town, some would just laze around on the rooftops, others played all day with the humans, never tiring out until the sun said goodbye and the moon would say hello._

_But the best that had come out of their unity had to be their love of racing competitions._

_One day when Taeyong and Jaehyun were taking a peaceful flight over their kingdom, enjoying the sun, someone had rushed past them, almost knocking Taeyong off of Jaehyun's back. When they both gathered themselves after the initial shock, they looked over to see a cackling boy on top of a smaller maroon dragon._

_"Your majesties, care for a little race?' the boy hollered, the dragon making a loop through the air, showing off his skills to the two._

_'Wanna show them how it's done?' Jaehyun mentally spoke, a cocky lilt to his voice._

_Taeyong let a smirk curl over his lips, whispering a little 'yes' before preparing himself for a fun little race. Jaehyun flew next to the two, Taeyong crossing his arms with a tilt to his head. "So where's the finish line?"_

_The boy pointed over to where an old building was, far into the kingdom. Taeyong knew that as Yuta's place, having gone there many times. Taeyong nodded. "Alright, you got yourself a race" he stretched out a hand, the boy clasping it in his._

_The boy whooped, leaning down into position, hanging onto the scales of the dragon, glancing over at Taeyong to see him doing the same thing._

_"On your mark" shouted the boy, "get set...GO!"_

_Both dragons flew off, powerful wings gliding through the winds, setting off noises that alarmed the citizens and dragons alike, but all of them relaxing once seeing the two dragons speeding through the air in a friendly race._

_Jaehyun then had a brilliant idea. He swooped down into the town, swiftly flying through alleys and hidden shortcuts to Yuta's place, Taeyong recognizing the places around him. He encouraged Jaehyun with a happy shout, seeing the bottom of the old building swim into view._

_Taeyong looked up to see the maroon dragon right over them, mentally telling Jaehyun about the competition's whereabouts._

_And with a push of his wings, Jaehyun sped up, curling around the building before bursting through the sky, Taeyong feeling Jaehyun's smug pride fill them both up, Taeyong cheering in happiness at their win._

_The boy pouted when Jaehyun flew back down to meet the two, staring at both of them in betrayal. "No fair, you cheated" he exclaimed._

_Taeyong let out a laugh. "You never set any rules, so no we didn't cheat. Good race though." Taeyong stuck out his hand, the boy accepting defeat and sighing dramatically, face suddenly lit up in a smile. "You may have won this time, but next time, I'm gonna leave you lost in the clouds."_

_"I'd like to see you try."_

_When both the boy and the dragon had left, that's when their great idea had begun to bloom._

_Now every year, they had a friendly competition of something they like to call dragon racing! They set up stalls for racers and dragons to get ready in, their attire having to be appropriate and also for dragons to be saddled up for their riders not to fall off when racing. They took a whole month to prepare for the competition, smaller competitions leading up for the last two pairs to compete in the final._

_Some years the kings would participate, others they wouldn't and just watch, wishing the contestants good luck before blowing the horn to start the race._

_It was something the whole kingdom looked forward to. It was another holiday added on to their holidays throughout the year, and it was always the talk of the town when they had gotten new contestants every year. One year, they had gotten the shyest girl riding the smallest grown dragon everyone had ever seen._

_No one in the town had any faith she would win the competition, much lest the first, but when she had ended up winning the final, everyone burst into shouting joy. That year had been one of the best._

_And with every change that had come to the kingdom, humans and dragons alike continued to be friends and lived in harmony. There was no one who treated a dragon as a pet or something to be owned, always treating them with respect._

_Much different from how they had been treated before._

_And every night when Taeyong and Jaehyun would look over the balcony, basking in the quiet nights of their beautiful kingdom, they both felt that life was indeed wonderful and that nothing would ever harm their perfect little world._

_Or so they thought._

_+_

_The night began like any other night; a calm spring breeze passed over the kingdom as it always did, the moon bringing in the cool temperatures as opposed to the hotter temperatures during the day._

_Today had been a busy day for the kings. They had replied to so many proposals for alliances from other kingdoms, some small, some big. They also had a meeting with the council on their monthly inquiry on how their kingdom was currently doing. That had been a drag._

_After they had finished most of their duties for the day, still leaving a pile of work on their desks but saving it for the next day, they decided to retire or the night._

_The couple strolled through the castle halls, hands clasped together, enjoying the dim light of the moon passing through the tall windows. They also passed the halls of past kings and queens who had ruled Emerald City before them, Taeyong taking a glance at his parents's portrait._

_They had passed away when he was just 15, a deadly sickness had made it's way inside their bodies, killing them slowly and before he know it, it was too late to save them and they were gone from this world and into the heavens._

_His older sister who was still living with him at the time had been strong for the both of them, trying not to show her own grieving when it came to taking care of her younger brother. It ended up being futile when Taeyong had found her in the middle of the night, crying silently into her pillow, not noticing her brother walking in._

_That's when Taeyong knew he had to become strong to help his sister too._

_Jaehyun knew the story about his parents, so when he looked over at Taeyong who had a melancholic look in his eyes, he squeezed his hand before leaning over to kiss his head, hearing a sad sigh leave the shorter._

_"I'm okay, Jae. I just...I wish they could see how their kingdom has grown so much. They would've loved this. All of this." Taeyong swept his hand to gesture to all of the kingdom._

_"They do see it. And they see you too," Jaehyun softly replied, grabbing Taeyong by the shoulders and gently bumping his forehead with his. "And I bet they're damn proud of you and everything you have accomplished."_

_Taeyong let out a wet laugh, whining when he realized that tears had started to gather in his eyes, a few slipping down his cheeks. Jaehyun wiped away his tears with his thumb, leaning down to kiss his damp cheeks, pink nose, and then his lips which he pecked before gathering the ravenette in his arms, hugging him tightly._

_Taeyong wrapped his arms around Jaehyun's waist, basking in the warmth the dragon always gave off, reminding Taeyong of 'home'. He leaned his head back to meet Jaehyun's golden eyes before opening his mouth._

_"Jae, I-"_

_Everything happened all at once._

_Multiple screams rang outside and inside the castle, alarming the two kings to run towards the windows to go see what the commotion was all about. And then several enormous cannonballs lit on fire were rushing through the night air and towards the castle, ready to strike at any moment._

_"Get down!"_

_The deafening impact of the cannonballs shook the castle walls, glass shattering, shrieks of fear and pain, falling stone debris, all combined making Taeyong fall to the floor into a fetal position, a flash of light blinding him and then something sweltering hot was covering him, making beads of sweat run down his back and forehead._

_A loud ringing in his ears began to start, making him wince at the volume of it, not ready to open his eyes to the world around him just yet._

_The ground beneath him rumbled and shook like an earthquake, some faint, others hard enough to push him back and forth by the force of it. Muffled voices started surrounding him along with other far away sounds accompanied by the ongoing shaking._

_He felt gentle hands pry away his hands from his ears and with that, he got enough strength enough to open his eyes, squinting when he stared right into something bright._

_He looked around to see multiple guards and servants speaking to him, mouths moving, but he couldn't hear anything clearly, everything still muffled. He still felt the heat behind him, so he slowly turned around to see glistening golden scales._

_When his vision slowly started to clear, he realized that Jaehyun had transformed, just before the cannonballs had forced their way through. The dragon backed away to take a look at Taeyong, eyes looking all over him to see if he was okay._

_'You're hurt! Are you okay? Can you walk?'_

_Taeyong felt Jaehyun's emotions brewing like a storm in his head. His voice was the only thing he could hear clearly and when he had registered his words, something warm and wet dripped down the side of his face._

_When Taeyong raised to his hand to wipe at it, a drop landed on his hand, making him look down to see scarlet red liquid decorating his palm. He was bleeding._

_Another tremendous rumble shook the earth horribly, almost knocking everyone off their feet._

_Taeyong gasped, feeling adrenaline spike through him, making him fully aware of what was going on. They were being attacked!_

_He pushed past the servants and guards, making his way to a broken window, a cry leaving his throat when he saw the state his kingdom was in._

_It was up in flames._

_Homes, shops, abandoned buildings, all burning from their rooftops, screams of his people ringing in the burning orange and black night, no sight of the moon anywhere, unknown soldiers riding on their horses persecuting running civilians, laughing like it was some game._

_Rage, sorrow, pain, all those emotions began to twist and turn into Taeyong's body like a potion, ready to begin its job. He burst when he saw a few soldiers abusing a small dragon, trapped under an iron net, kicking, poking, and spitting at the poor thing, laughing when it tried to burn them with fire but failed when they moved away to avoid the blast._

_Taeyong could hear many voices, some in his head, others verbally, but he blocked them out._

_Instead he turned around to face the servants, ordering them to bring him his sword and saddle to which they immediately obliged, running to go get his things. He then ordered the head of the royal guard to send out everyone to protect his people, humans and dragons alike and to kill if necessary._

_They bowed low to their king and then left, on their way to protect the kingdom. When the servants had come back with his things, Jaehyun had already crouched low enough for Taeyong to hastily put on his saddle and helmet, making sure the buckles were strapped in tight so it wouldn't end up slipping._

_Thankfully the servants had brought him his fireproof jacket that acted as armor and as they helped him put it on, Jaehyun began to speak to him._

_'Are you okay?'_

_"I'm fine."_

_'Taeyong, I know you're angry and stressed, but we have to think about-'_

_"No! I want to find out who's attacking and when we do find them, I want them brought to the dungeon immediately. They'll have a trial and be hung for their crimes against our kingdom. This isn't something to take lightly or have any thoughts about."_

_And with that, he climbed onto Jaehyun's back, fuel pumping in his blood along with rage and hurt knocking around in his head, making him even more determined to find who would attack innocents and an unprepared kingdom._

_"Go."_

_With that one word, Jaehyun flew off, leaping into the air through the broken hole in ceiling, wings beating against the smoking air, overlooking their destroyed land, fire eating away everything in its path, some civilians trying to get some minor fires put out, but it ended up being futile when another building would just crumble and begin a whole other bundle of flames._

_Taeyong wanted to cry, scream, kick, anything that would reveal all the hidden emotions of pain when he saw what was happening. Who would ever do such a thing?_

_He yelped when Jaehyun suddenly swooped down, avoiding a cannonball that missed them by a hair. Taeyong grit his teeth when several more were headed towards them, Jaehyun swiftly flying over, under, between, doing everything possible to avoid being hit by one of them._

_When they finally got closer to where the catapults were stationed, all Taeyong saw was red._

_"Destroy them."_

_Jaehyun with all his might, drew in a mighty breath and blew a blast of raging fire, not caring for the screams of soldiers, only caring for the catapults and their boxes of weapons to be burned and melted. The catapults caught on fire, wooden beams and iron attachments falling down in flaming heaps towards the soldiers, running around like a bunch of ants on an anthill._

_Jaehyun began to fly around looking to burn more catapults, succeeding in burning them all. After most of them had fallen to the ground, nothing but embers at this point, Taeyong's guards had come running in, disarming and locking the opposing soldiers up in chains, leaving them on the ground as they searched for any runners._

_Before Taeyong could tell Jaehyun that they should go looking for anymore weapons to destroy, a deafening shriek rang through the air before Jaehyun was grabbed roughly and thrown into the ground, soil, debris, and glass hitting Taeyong all at once when Jaehyun crashed through the town._

_When they finally stopped crashing through, Jaehyun sluggishly getting back to his feet, he was immediately attacked again. Jaehyun wasn't going to be caught off guard again, so when the other body crashed into his, Jaehyun blocked swiftly, smacking his tail against the other and scratching any part that came into view. When he was ready to attack again the body rose up into the air, both Jaehyun and Taeyong finally getting a clear view of who it was._

_Taeyong gasped when he saw a majestic white dragon, his scales making him stick out like a sore thumb through the hellish air, blue eyes downcast in what looked like disappointment and guilt. He was a bit smaller than Jaehyun, but big enough to hold himself in a fight. He also noticed saddle buckles and tight chains wrapped around his neck and chest, some digging into the soft part of his underside._

_Taeyong felt a sense of familiarity when he saw the white dragon. There weren't many that he saw, but he did recall meeting one. Realization then dawned upon him. He gasped, voice about to speak the dragon's name when-_

_"Oh, look at how the thriving kingdom falls into ashes."_

_The dragon turned to show the person who had spoken and rage just spiked through every sense in Taeyong's body. He could also feel shock and a flurry of negative emotions fill up Jaehyun as well._

_"Ruhyuck!"_

_The ruthless king just cackled at Taeyong's expression, smiling wide like it was the funniest thing he's ever seen. He had tight grip on the chains that were wrapped around the dragon. Now Taeyong understood. The dragon was doing this against his own will. He had been captured._

_"Let him go! Let everyone go!"_

_Ruhyuck put on an innocent face, smiling annoyingly at the furious king and his dragon._

_"You're not even going to ask me why I've done this, little king? Why I have attacked Emerald City?"_

_"I know why you've done it. You're a spoiled, egoistical, bastard who throws a damn tantrum everytime someone says no to you or you don't get your way! You're worse than a child and for your acts, you will be hanged. But before that, you'll be tortured and whipped. Whipped for every innocent life you have murdered, humans and dragons alike! You will NOT get away with this, mark my words!"_

_Every word that Taeyong spat at the other king, his face slowly began to lose its smile and was now replaced with one of fury, not liking the truth being thrown at his face._

_"Oh, but I will," Ruhyuck replied darkly, pulling on the chains harshly, making the dragon yelp in pain. "Kill his dragon. But leave the king alone, he is mine."_

_Both dragons then leaped at each other, claws and fangs digging into their scaled bodies, blood gushing after every bite and scratch was left behind from their attack. At one point, Jaehyun had the advantage, bringing the dragon onto the ground, his size giving him the upper hand, but then the unexpected happened._

_The white dragon was able to slip out of Jaehyun's bruising hold and when he caught sight of Jaehyun's forearm, he leaped forward and dug his sharp teeth into his skin, breaking through the tough golden scales._

_Pain shot through their link, both Jaehyun and Taeyong screaming out in agony. However, this was a different type of pain. When the hot white sting shot through their bodies, it was suddenly then replaced with a shivering cold poison, a slow torture filling up their veins leaving them both paralyzed._

_At one point, Jaehyun stopped struggling, his body heavy and his mind muddled from whatever the white dragon had done to him. Jaehyun became limp, eyes closing and his breath coming out in a slow rhythm, alarming Taeyong._

_"Jae," his voice came out weak, his vision blurring, spots bursting behind his eyelids, threatening to close. Just what had the dragon done to them? He tried speaking through their link, but all he heard was white noise, he couldn't even feel Jaehyun's presence anymore, cold fear making its way thorough his spine, almost waking him up instantly._

_"W-what did y-you do to him?" Taeyong slurred his words, body feeling lethargic. He tried to wake himself up, but it seemed the more he fought whatever was happening to him, the worse it got._

_Ruhyuck let out a sinister laugh, patting the dragon's neck like you would a dog, as if saying 'good job'. "Hmm, don't ask me, I won't take any credit. Your little dragon friend did all the work, why don't you thank him for it?"_

_A soft whine was heard, Taeyong shifting his gaze to the dragon, expression still looking guilty. Taeyong knew he was doing this against his will, so he pushed aside all the angry thoughts directed at him and decided to turn it back to Ruhyuck._

_"Grab him."_

_That one command sent the white dragon flying down to grab Jaehyun's limp body, Taeyong almost falling off the saddle, but quickly grabbing onto it. When they were both airborne, Taeyong hadn't even noticed Ruhyuck getting closer until he felt a hand curl around his throat, yanking him off the saddle and holding him up in the air._

_Taeyong let out a shriek of fear and rage, kicking his feet and thankfully getting at least one kick to Ruhyuck's head, smiling when the other king looked back at him with fury in his eyes. The grip around his neck got tighter, tears gathering in his eyes, the lack of air making him choke and cough, wrapping his hands around Ruhyuck's arm._

_"You....fucking...-"_

_"Ah ah ah, Taeyongie," he tutted, feigning sweetness, "you wouldn't want me to drop your sweet pet into flaming spikes, now would we?"_

_Taeyong looked over to see that they had flown over what looked like an enormous bonfire, pieces of broken wood stuck out like claws, ready to tear into anything falling deep into its pits. Now maybe Jaehyun was fireproof, but with how big and sharp those pieces of wood looked and also with how high up they were, Taeyong knew he wouldn't make it._

_The grip had lessened, Taeyong thankful for the gulp of minimal air he received. Sweat and blood was decorating his face and he hated how calm and collected the other looked, not one mark on his irritating face. Not even after he had kicked him upside the head._

_"Now now, what are we to do? Hmm?"_

_"What do you...want?"_

_"Ah! He speaks!" Ruhyuck celebrated, teeth gleaming in the inferno that was now Emerald City._

_When he received no response, he put his hand under his chin as if thinking, humming in thought. "I want all the dragons. Every single one. And for you accept my proposal and for you to abdicate your rule over the kingdom and hand it to me."_

_"You-Never! My people will NEVER see you as their ruler! You'll end up killing-" Taeyong stopped when the hand around his throat tightened, cutting off his air supply, making him dizzy to the point where he was sure he'd pass out._

_"It wasn't a request. It was an order. Give up everything to me and your precious people and dragons will be spared."_

_Taeyong felt panic swell up within him. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, he didn't know what to do. Ruhyuck could tell he was in a dilemma, but didn't comment on it, probably enjoying Taeyong's inner struggle._

_"I'll give you till the count of three to give me your answer. 1."_

_Taeyong didn't know what to do!_

_"2..."_

_He shut his eyes, mind screaming at him in all directions of what he should, but another part tel_ _ling him what he shouldn't do._

_"3-"_

_Before Ruhyuck could act on his words, a body suddenly crashed into the white dragon's, throwing all of them off balance. The grip on Taeyong's throat was gone now, wind now rushing through his ears, his body plummeting to the earth. A scream tore its way through his raw throat, his body already expecting the immense pain he was to receive when he dropped to the ground but then-_

_'Gotcha!'_

_He felt a body crashing onto his, the body moving through the air with ease, the sounds of fighting in the background, but he instead focused on the gleaming red scales under his fingers._

_"Red?"_

_'Yes! Are you okay?'_

_Taeyong pushed his heavy body upright, legs on either side of Red's body, hanging onto the scales so he wouldn't fall off. "I-I'm okay, but Jaehyun, he's-"_

_"Don't think this is the end of it, Taeyong! I will have and rule over this kingdom and have all the dragons! You can't protect everyone!"_

_Taeyong looked over to see Ruhyuck still on the back of the white dragon, flying away towards the ruins of where his castle resided. Two more dragons, Onyx and Ten, flew up next to Red, both sporting gnarly gashes on their skin, but overall they seemed fine._

_"I have to go to him. Red take me there."_

_'But he'll kill you both!'_

_Taeyong sighed, dropping his head. "I know. But I can't let him have Jaehyun, he's in danger. And I have to help that white dragon too, he's being used against his own will."_

_'Kun'_

_Everyone looked over to face Ten, his eyes looking over to where they saw Ruhyuck fly off to. 'His name is Kun. He's my friend and...yes, he's being used against his own will'_

_Onyx and Red nudged their heads against Ten's, Taeyong leaning over to gently pet the side of his head, careful with his wounds._

_"We'll get him back. Like hell I'll let him take the dragons back, especially after doing everything to free them."_

_'What are you gonna do?' he heard Onyx's scared voice ring through his mind, looking over to meet his blue and green gaze, fear evident in them._

_"I'm going to get Jaehyun back, and then I'm going to kill Ruhyuck, whatever it takes. Nothing but death will end his vicious ways. Now, c'mon we have go before he does something to them both."_

_+_

_When they arrived at the castle, they had a clear view of where Ruhyuck had taken Jaehyun and Kun._

_The Throne Room._

_They landed on another part of the castle so Taeyong could sneak in. The three dragons wanted to accompany him, but he kept refusing them, telling them to find as many civilians and dragons alike and take them somewhere safe._

_It took a bit of convincing, but they finally relented, Onyx and Ten already airborne, waiting for Red to follow them. Then Red threw himself at Taeyong, rubbing his head against his chest and head, sorrow leaking out of his emotions._

_'Come back alive...please'_

_The small pleading voice made Taeyong want to take him with him, but he knew it was too dangerous, especially since he was younger too._

_"I will."_

_With a last squeezing hug, Taeyong let go, Red taking one look back at him, honey eyes still filed with worry, before leaping into the air and flying away with Onyx and Ten._

_When they were out of sight, Taeyong began to enter the castle, carefully looking around for any one of Ruhyuck's men to be posted outside, but surprisingly there wasn't any. He looked around for any weapons since his sword got lost somewhere in between the fight of Jaehyun and Kun._

_As he looked around some more, he finally found a quiver with a few arrows inside and an intricate bow nearby. He also found a dagger that he stuffed in his boot, hidden from view just in case he needed it._

_He began walking through the debris scattered across the ground, small flames licking at the walls and decorations, smoke still heavy in the nighttime air, flames in the city still not diminishing._

_When he finally made it to the throne room, he quickly hid behind a mostly upright pillar, looking around to find the three. He nocked an arrow on his bow, letting it set there, ready for it to be pulled back and fired once he saw Ruhyuck. When looked around some more, he suddenly found a white haired man sitting down on the floor, bruises and bloody gashes decorating his entire body, a thin blanket covering him up._ _His head was down, but Taeyong could still see that his nose was pink and tear tracks were flowing down his face, washing away the blood and dirt._

_As Taeyong got closer, he heard Ruhyuck's voice softly speaking to him._

_"-be proud of yourself, honestly. Just look at him! Knocked out like a dead bird. You did exactly as I told you and without complaint. Do everything I say for just a few more hours and I'll let you go."_

_"Do you promise to let him go too?"_

_Ruhyuck turned back to look at the broken man, eyes still dripping with tears and with a sigh, he crouched down and caressed the man's head, Taeyong not liking the way he flinched when the king got closer to him._

_"Of course, of course, but...you know..."_

_Ruhyuck leaned over to whisper something in the man's ear, Taeyong feeling disgusted when the man's eyes widened in what looked like fear. Ruhyuck then proceeded to laugh sinisterly at the way the man tried to scoot away from him, walking closer everytime he tried to get away from him. Taeyong covered his mouth so he wouldn't accidentally gasp out loud when he saw Ruhyuck unsheathe his sword, letting the sharp tip nick the man in his neck._

_"You know what? I think you've done enough for today."_

_"But-but-you-"_

_"I just don't need you anymore. Sorry." And with that, Ruhyuck raised his sword in the air, ready for it to come swinging down onto the man's neck._

_But then an arrow embedded itself into his shoulder, making him cry out in pain, sword falling from his grasp, instead reaching for the arrow that was now sticking out of his skin._

_Taeyong walked out from behind the pillar, everything clearer now. The only light that was present was the light coming from the flames outside and the few bits of fire around them. Everything had been destroyed, a hole in ceiling, chandelier broken on the floor, portraits, vases, velvet chairs, everything had been obliterated by the attack._

_Taeyong looked around for Jaehyun and saw that he was laying unconscious at the edge of the throne room where the wall had collapsed. The edge overlooking the deep chasm where the castle had been built on the cliff above it._

_Taeyong felt a bubble of fear rise within him, but he pushed it down, knowing the only way he could save everyone was if he killed Ruhyuck right here, and right now._

_"Oh look who decided to show up! I'm guessing you're not ready to accept my proposal if you're shooting people like it's a greeting?"_

_"I'll never accept your proposal. You'll never have Emerald City and you WILL die for your crimes. I can promise you that."_

_"Don't make foolish promises you don't intend to keep, Taeyong." Ruhyuck's face turned dark, his eyes holding an evil glint in them, slowly turning his head, he motioned with his head towards the white haired man, whose eyes were the same as the white dragon's, who had suddenly appeared by Jaehyun's still unconscious form._

_'Kun' his mind supplied, not letting emotions show on his face when he saw how fast Kun had appeared. He still had an arrow pointed at Ruhyuck, ready to shoot at any moment, but then his arms faltered when he saw a spike of ice wrapping around Kun's arm and hand. He raised over his head, ready to bring it down when an arrow flew past the king and into Kun's upper bicep._

_The dragon screamed, spike of ice breaking away, shattering on the floor. Ruhyuck's attention was now focused on Kun and bleeding arm and that gave enough time for Taeyong to drop his weapon and throw himself at Ruhyuck._

_The ruthless king let out a shout of rage, kicking and hitting Taeyong when he had knocked him down onto his back. Taeyong thrashed around with Ruhyuck, getting in multiple hits and kicks, but getting the same amount back, his body already ready to give up, but his mind kept pushing him to keep going, knowing if he gave up now, it would be the end of all of them._

_Ruhyuck had had a hold on him until Taeyong jabbed his elbow into his gut, making him breathless and that gave him the chance to kick Ruhyuck out from beneath his feet, knocking him onto his back and straddle him, quickly taking out the dagger hidden underneath his boot, but before he could plunge into Ruhyuck's neck, a voice stopped him._

_"Dont! Or I'll kill him!"_

_Both Taeyong and Ruhyuck looked up, Kun holding an awake Jaehyun hostage, an ice dagger held up to his neck. Kun's eyes were wide with fear and hurt and Taeyong just wanted to comfort and talk to him, knowing Ruhyuck must have done something to him for the dragon to react this way and do Ruhyuck's bidding without question._

_"Drop it" Kun said, no wavering in his voice._

_When Taeyong didn't move, Kun let the dagger dig into Jaehyun's skin, letting a few drops of blood decorate the blue ice, making him flinch from the sting._

_"Drop. It."_

_Taeyong slowly stood up, hands in the air, sighing when his fingers let his only weapon fall from his grasp, the loud clang of it on the floor making him wince._

_He could hear Ruhyuck standing up behind him, a chuckle that annoyed him to no end was heard. "Well well. Did you really think that was a good idea, Taeyong? Did you really think you could defeat me?"_

_Taeyong rolled his eyes, looking at Ruhyuck when he appeared in his sight, his dagger in his hands. He stiffened, knowing that Ruhyuck was definitely going to act on whatever he was thinking of doing with the dagger._

_"I must say, you really are brave enough to try and stop me. But no one, no one, has ever bested me. And they never will," he then sighed, stopping the dagger from twirling between his fingers, looking up at Taeyong, smiling once more, this one sickly sweet, "you know what? I'll drop the proposal, I don't need to wed you to have this kingdom."_

_Taeyong felt paralyzed when the king's face was suddenly in front of his, making him dizzy from the proximity, but then his next words sent alarms ringing through his ears._

_"I just need you dead."_

_The dagger was then suddenly plunged deep into his stomach, a scream of pain tearing its way out of his throat, legs weak, knees buckling, sending him sprawling across the dirty floor. Blood began oozing out of his wound and mouth, blood trailing down his chin and jaw._

_His vision was blurred and his ears began to ring again, but then a shouting voice was clearing the fog in his head. His head lolled to the side, tears he hadn't noticed were making their way down his cheeks._

_He blinked slowly and his vision was cleared enough to see Jaehyun struggling against Kun, mouth moving, not caring that the ice dagger was digging into his own skin. Taeyong saw Ruhyuck pick up his own discarded sword from the ground, letting the tip trail lazily behind him._

_He was going to kill Jaehyun!_

_Taeyong slowly began to push himself up from the cold wet ground, looking over his shoulder to see a puddle had begun to form under him. His body felt cold, sweat and blood dripping down his body, but at this point he didn't care, all he wanted to do was to save Jaehyun._

_He pushed himself up to his knees, the action already taking so much out of him. He was in so much pain, black dots swimming across his vision, but he didn't dare let his eyes slip close._

_As Ruhyuck walked closer, Taeyong was able to stabilize himself on both feet, body swaying and dizziness now making him almost lose sight of the three, but he stood his ground. When Ruhyuck was standing right in front Jaehyun, that's when Taeyong's feet acted on their own._

_He was running._

_Running with all the energy he had left._

_Running with all his might._

_And with the dagger Ruhyuck had left in his stomach, Taeyong raised it up into the air, bringing it down with all his might and plunging it into Ruhyuck's eye._

_The deafening shriek that left Ruhyuck made everyone flinch, the king stumbling back and forth, trying in vain to grab the dagger that was making him blind. Kun was frozen, ice dagger in shards on the floor and that gave Taeyong enough time to pry Jaehyun away from him._

_When he was still frozen, not noticing that he wasn't holding onto someone anymore, that's when Taeyong crouched down in front of him, albeit very slowly and sluggishly, snapping his fingers, and lightly slapping his face. "Hey, hey, Kun, you need to snap out of it."  
_

_Kun finally shook his head, letting whatever came over him, leave him, looking clearly at Taeyong, eyes widening in guilt, eyes already starting to tear up. "Kun, you need to go."_

_"W-wh-what? No, I can't! He-"_

_"He won't be able to hurt you anymore, okay, so you need to go. I know you didn't mean to do any of this, but please for your own safety, go."_

_"I can't! He has my-"_

_"Kun! We'll help you when this is over, but you need to go, before he ends up killing you too. Please."_

_Kun looked at him, eyes still brimming with tears, but when he saw the determination in the young king's eyes, he nodded. "I'm-I'm sor-," Taeyong shut him up with a tight hug before pushing him to leave._

_"Don't apologize. Just go find Ten and be safe. That's all I ask of you."_

_Kun nodded once more, before throwing himself of the edge, turning into his majestic form in mid air before flying off into the distance._

_Taeyong prayed that he could get to the others safely. His thoughts were soon interrupted when he heard a grunt of pain and the clanging and waving of a sword. Taeyong turned around to see Ruhyuck madly swinging his sword around, one hand holding his dripping eye, blood slipping through his fingers, teeth bared, ready to kill anything in sight._

_Jaehyun had a horrible looking wound across his chest, Taeyong looking around to see that Ruhyuck's sword was tipped in blood. Jaehyun's blood. Taeyong tried to get to where Jaehyun was, wondering if he had gotten up to protect Kun and him when was trying to get Kun to leave, but it was useless with him losing a lot of blood and making him walk like a drunk._

_"You fucking bitch! I'll fucking kill you!"_

_Ruhyuck had finally set his sight on where Taeyong was on the floor, clutching his still bleeding stomach. His eyes narrowed, grip on the sword getting tighter, he then finally began walking, but before he could reach Taeyong, Jaehyun roughly pushed the other man away, movements still sluggish. Ruhyuck ended up body slamming into a rock, sword sliding away, the man still weeping in pain, holding his eye and now kneeling over the floor._

_Taeyong looked back over to Jaehyun, his body taking on blue frosted tint, his movements short and Taeyong could see that he was wincing with every move he did, blood continuously to drip down his chest. Jaehyun slowly walked over to Taeyong, falling down onto his knees in front of him, grabbing his face and putting his forehead against his, pain evident in his expression._

_Taeyong looked down to see Jaehyun's body glistening with frost, almost encasing him in it. He began to panic when Jaehyun groaned out in pain, a few stray tears leaving his golden eyes._

_"Wh-what's happening? Why-why is this happening to you? Jae-"_

_"He poisoned me," he whispered._

_"W-who? Jaehyun, what-"_

_"Kun...he...he was ordered to. I can't...change into my form or else, I'll die immediately."_

_Taeyong let out a sob, holding his hand against his mouth. His body was shaking like a leaf and he couldn't stop the onslaught of tears that where threatening to fall the entire night, now spilling over like a broken dam._

_"J-Jae-Jaehyun, please, j-just stay strong, okay baby? Plea-please, we can go find help! C'mon, my love, if we go, r-right now, we can-"_

_Jaehyun shushed him, body seeming to slump forward, almost as if holding it up was too much to do right now, eyes threatening to close. "Taeyong, my love...my heart...my king..." with every word, Jaehyun seemed to lose strength even more, leaning entirely on Taeyong who was trying in vain not to scream in panic and pain, knowing it wouldn't do any good in this situation, "only a frost dragon would be able to reverse it. There's no hope for me. You have to go."_

_Taeyong let those words sink into him._

_A gasp left him._

_Kun._

_Kun, who was a frost dragon._

_The dragon he sent away._

_Kun._

_The one who would've been able to save Jaehyun's life._

_Taeyong began to hyperventilate, his body began to uncontrollably shake, oxygen not making its way through his lungs, his senses feeling like he had been dunked underwater, suffocating him to no end. It wasn't until he heard loud whimpers and a calming voice whisper to him that he realized that he was the one whimpering, nails embedded into his skin, making harsh red dents across his arms._

_"Taeyong, please don't panic, I'll be okay-"_

_"You're dying, Jaehyun! No you won't-"_

_Jaehyun softly shushed him again, his head now leaning against Taeyong's shoulder, his body fully covered in a thin layer of freezing cold frost, Taeyong feeling it against his own fingers, making him flinch from the harsh temperature._

_He could feel how cold the dragon was, not liking how his heat wasn't present anymore, bringing a new onslaught of tears to his eyes. He had to be strong! For Jaehyun!_

_"Jae-Jaehyun-"_

_Before he could utter another word, loud heavy footsteps echoed throughout the ruined throne room, Taeyong looking up to see Ruhyuck's bloody face, but he could clearly make out his hard cold expression. The glint of the sword in his hand made the small flames nearby reflect on its surface, almost blinding the ravenette._

_As he continued to walk closer and closer to the lovers on the floor, Taeyong had finally given up. So with the last bit of energy he had, he wrapped his arms around an unmoving Jaehyun, turned them around, and his back was met with the sword's killing blow, stabbing into his skin and into his heart._

_That night, the king and his dragon, both dead by the hands of the ruthless king and lust for power, had thrown their connected bodies over the edge of the cliff, relieved to have finished them once and for all._

_And on that same night, Emerald City had fallen to ashes within hours, history to be forgotten over the years, never spoken of again, but o_ _nly to be remembered by 'The Massacre of Emerald City' and how the mystery of it's murderer was never to be found._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'VE FINALLY DONE IT! I HAVE POSTED THE FLASHBACK CHAPTER!!!!!!!
> 
> Honestly, thank you so much for being patient, I know this took a long ass time to upload, but I hope that it was worth the wait for you guys! Of course there are still a few loose ends, but I did that on purpose so don't worry about those ;))  
> SIIIGGGGHHHHHHH I'm so freaking glad I'm done with it and now we can get back to our regularly scheduled program! 
> 
> Please tell me what you guys think about this chapter, leave any questions you might have, comments, kudos, and thank you so much for reading!!! :D
> 
> [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	11. Hendery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of Death
> 
> I'll put a + before the start of it and another + at the end of it

"That night we took as many humans and dragons alike to safety, but many more had been killed by Ruhyuck's men. There were only a few of us left, some deciding to hide back in the mountains, others flying across the ocean to find new land to ensure their ultimate safety. As for us, we just flew across the continent to start our own little clan here, and we've been hiding ever since." 

They had made their way to the top of the mountain, gathered up a few snacks and a pitcher of juice in a basket and had made their way up up up, Hendery, this time, keeping his sanity and breakfast. Two more dragons had joined them, introduced to the prince as Yukhei and Jungwoo. 

They had all sat down around the two boys and Ten when Ten had begun to tell the story. Practically the whole day had passed, a bonfire lit in the middle, making everything more somber in the quiet moonlit night.

Everyone had sad expressions gracing their faces, the dragons laying their heads down on their feet, looking up at the three in the middle, sad eyes making it difficult to comprehend everything that Ten had just told them.

Hendery knew that this story wouldn't end with rainbows and flowers and a victorious win. He knew the ending, but he didn't know how heartbreaking and rage filling it would be to actually hear it from someone who had been there.

He had written everything down in the few spaces left he had in his torn journal, mostly just notes to summarize everything, but the details were burned into his mind. The newly appointed king. The dragons. The city and it's growth. The way the city had basked in praise from the entire world, but was as humble and open-minded as their leaders. 

And then the ruthless king who ruined it all. 

+

"W-what about the people?" 

Hendery raised his head and turned to look at YangYang next to him, something akin to fear in his eyes, as if knowing the truth would break him to pieces. Ten, who had been watching the stars and moon, let his head down to look straight into the younger's eyes, a negative expression passing over him. 

"They..."

Ten closed his eyes and harshly exhaled, clenching his jaw in what seemed to be anger. But also pain. 

"They passed."

"What?" It was Hendery who spoke this time. 

"It was something about the land that kept it's people all happy, healthy, well fed. When Ruhyuck had taken over, it was like it knew. Like the land knew that this new 'king' was using it for it for granted. And the land had a bond with it's people too. It's difficult to explain." 

Ten opened his eyes, but kept it trained on the bonfire. 

"When we had begun getting everyone to safety, they just...dropped." 

Both Hendery and YangYang let out a gasp, bodies tensed up at the dragon's words. Hendery reached into his pocket to wrap his fingers around his mother's locket, the cold feeling against his skin making him feel a bit better. 

"The people started to feel faint, some fighting for their lives to stay awake while others just let it overcome them, most likely exhausted from all the events that had occurred that night. Only a few survived...including you, YangYang." 

They were silent for a minute, trying to register Ten's words, but it just felt like pure pain to Hendery when he repeated the words. 

"Did...did my parents..."

He couldn't finish the sentence, the prince turning his head to see the younger with his head down, hands shaking. Hendery debated whether he should or not reach over to grab his hand, but when the shaking got worse, he decided to reach over to gently grasp the younger's hand in his, glad that the shaking died down a bit when he did. 

"I think you only had a mother. She had given you to Kun and told him to take care of you and that's when we all saw you. After everything that happened, we just decided to take you in, not wanting you to pass away either. Especially so young. You were just a babe. However, you did get extremely sick after we had moved here." 

+

With each word, YangYang raised his head a little more to look at Ten. Hendery could see the tip of his nose was red and there was a lone tear track on his cheek, the prince wanting to wipe it away, but deemed it unnecessary at the moment. 

"You were always getting sick growing up and we had thought it was because of what had happened and also the new change of land. So one day we had decided to see if going back would make you feel better, but when we had arrived-" 

"You didn't find anything?" Hendery asked, feeling as if he already knew the next part. 

"Not one thing. Just a plain ole' field. A large, empty, clean, field. No ruins, no bodies, no stray pieces of debris, nothing. It was as if nothing had happened." 

A grumbling huff and a whine was heard behind the two boys, Hendery and YangYang turning to see Jungwoo with his eyes closed, almost as if in pain. YangYang began to pet the sunset dragon's head, whispering words to him that the prince couldn't catch.

Ten let out a small tired smile. "Woo always gets sad when he hears this story. Makes him cry to sleep everytime, never fails." 

Jungwoo growled pathetically at the teasing dragon, sticking his large tongue out before curling his head around Hendery. "Can I pet you?" he whispered, still not knowing his boundaries around the creatures. 

Unknowingly, YangYang smiled behind the other boy's back, hearing Jungwoo's confirmation in his head. "He says you can." 

Without hesitation, Hendery begins to softly pet his head, his rough scales rippling under his fingertips. A purr began to bloom in his throat, making the prince smile at the sound. It was a nice little change to the previous setting where everything just felt suffocating and gloomy. 

"Wait!"

Everyone turned to look at YangYang who had his eyebrows furrowed, eyes zeroing in on Ten. "How did Jungwoo know before I did? Did he live in Emerald City too?" 

Ten huffed out a laugh. "No. Yukhei told him." 

YangYang let out an offended gasp, turning to look back at the blue dragon who was trying to hide his much _bigger_ form behind a sleeping Jungwoo. The boy stood up with his fists on his hips, giving the poor dragon an accusing glare. 

"You told Jungwoo, but you didn't tell me?! I can see the person you REALLY are now! Does family not mean anything to you anymore? You know what..."

Hendery giggled at the cute display of a small human boy scolding a dragon that could easily crush him with his claws. When Hendery turned to look back at Ten, he saw him petting a downhearted looking Sicheng, suddenly remembering an important detail. 

"What happened to Yuta?" 

Just as he had asked his question, fear struck him, not knowing if he really wanted to know the answer or not. He hadn't noticed that YangYang stopped his scolding to look back at Ten as well, the other dragons, besides Sicheng, joining them in their curiosity to know too. 

Ten sighed, shaking his head, giving one last pet to Sicheng before standing up. "That's a story for another day. For now, my story is finished and you, little prince, need to return home before an armada come climbing up our mountain to look for you."

~

The third time flying on the back of a dragon was not bad at all. Hendery actually felt even more elated at all of today's events that had occurred. It had felt like a dream, like none of it had felt real, but it was. 

Everything was real. 

Ten had taken him alone since YangYang was still "grounded". He had made them both invisible to be able to pass over the castle walls undetected and without making the guards alert. Hendery had thanked every god in the sky when he saw that his room balcony was empty, usually two guards would be posted outside for his "safety", but Hendery always thought it was to keep him from escaping. 

Apparently it didn't work. 

When Ten landed in the big space of his balcony, Hendery slid off his back, satchel handle clutched in his hand, not wanting this day to end so soon. He still had so many questions, but stopped himself from asking them, knowing he'd have time later to get them answered. 

"Thank you, Ten. I mean it, everything today...it was a lot, but it was worth it. Thank you so much for telling me what really happened. I...I don't know how to thank you enough or even repay you." 

He felt an unknown presence gently push its way through his head, making him feel a little dizzy. Then the words that echoed through his mind made him almost faint right then and there. 

_"I don't know why you're so curious about what happened to Emerald City, but I have a feeling I can trust you. Just don't fuck up and I'll swear not to let Sicheng attack you the next time he sees you."_

Hendery looked around trying to pinpoint the sound of the voice, but then realized-

"Ten! Is-is that you?" 

The dragon nodded with a smug look in his slitted eyes. 

"How-"

_"We'll get technical later. For now, little prince, you just need to sleep all of today off. No offense, but you look awful and smell awful too. See you soon."_

Ten turned around to leave when he stopped and took one last look at the shocked prince, laughing evilly to himself before speaking once again. 

_"And if you dare hurt YangYang, Sicheng won't be the only one you'll have to deal with."_

And with that, he flew off into the dark starlit night, disappearing from the prince's sight, blending into the blue black sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! 2 different updates in a day???! Especially with this block?? I must be breaking free then omg! :D
> 
> We are now back with our beloved characters and most of their questions answered! From here on out though, there will be more Hendery based chapters since there are a lot of important stuff to cover with him, BUT we will still get YangYang chapters so don't think I'm abandoning him!
> 
> Again thank you so much for reading and please leave kudos and comments if you like it and also your thoughts on everything revealed so far! Bye Bye!
> 
> [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	12. Hendery

Hendery knew the consequences for running away, _again_ , were going to be much worse than what was originally given to him. 

But he definitely wasn't expecting _this_. 

"I'm-I'm sorry, a what?" 

"A friend. I understand that living behind the palace walls for most of your life can be difficult, especially if you're a growing boy and need some company. The servants nor the guards can give you that type of company so I've decided to let your little act of rebellion slide in favor of you letting your 'friend' be by your side at all times. I'll even let you go outside freely as long as your friend is with you. Do we have a deal?" 

King Wong Mu was a good ruler. But not really much of a good father. 

Polera was a good kingdom. Thriving from its allies' help and successful trading routes and of course the booming agriculture they had. Not much crime and complaints were usually easy to attend to and resolve. 

The Council came to visit the kingdom once every 2 to 3 months, as they did other kingdoms as well, and since they have already arrived that month, the king wasn't as stressed as he would be when they still needed to be paid a visit from them. 

Hendery didn't really remember much of his father growing up. It was just always his Mama and him, the late queen Wong Eunjae. Her flowing raven hair, soft nature green eyes, and sweet smile passed through his mind like always when he thought of her. 

She was always there, from when the sun rose up into the sky up until it was time for dreams to take over his mind. He just remembered being so happy whenever he was with his mother. She always played with him, told him amazing stories from her life, drew and painted like a skilled artist, even taught him how to sneak into certain places in the palace without getting caught by any of the servants or guards.

Out of habit, he stuck his hand through his pocket to feel the locket, clutching it tightly in his fist to feel the cold against his skin, remembering he was doing this all for her. All so he could one day tell her that her home had been avenged, knowing that she'd be listening from the skies, smiling down at her son. 

And even though Hendery didn't spend time with his father growing up, he knew that he had strict rules and never gave any light punishments when needed. 

So as he observed his father, trying to find any faults in his expression, he finally decided that maybe his father lost his mind. It was about time, if they were being honest here. Hendery was about to turn 19 and this was probably the most outrageous and out character action he had done in all his life. 

Besides running butt naked through the castle halls when he was 6. But that's beside the point. 

"Kunhang?" 

"Hm?" Hearing his royal birth name come out of his father's mouth made goosebumps run down his arms. He always felt like he was getting scolded, even if his name was said in an even tone and not a harsh one. 

"Deal or not? I don't have all morning and you need to get to your studies soon." 

"Uh...-" 

"Don't say 'uh', you know it's rude and improper. Speak like a prince." 

"I apologize father. I just have a few questions regarding this...idea." 

"Ask away." 

"Do I get to choose this so called 'friend'? Or-" 

"I have already chosen someone perfect for you. He's around your age and if you agree, you can meet him right away and ask him all the questions that you desire." 

Hendery sighed, looking around the dining room, not really wanting to outright reject his father's proposal, but also not wanting to accept it either. Having a 'friend' be with him at all times just felt like when his guards would follow him everywhere, but then again, this 'friend' wouldn't technically be a guard. 

So...like a babysitter? 

He inwardly groaned. He could see his father becoming impatient and even he himself was becoming impatient as well, not knowing what the better path would be. 

So with a defeated sigh, he nodded. "Deal." 

"Perfect. Come with me then." 

~

"Hi, my name is Xiaojun. Nice to meet you, your highness." 

After his father had led him to one of the study rooms, he quickly introduced him to the shorter boy, who he now knew as Xiaojun, and left them to their own devices, seeming pleased at Hendery's answer. 

However when the prince saw the other's appearance, his breath suddenly left him. His hair was a white blond, perfectly styled on his head and looking soft to the touch, thick eyebrows that brought more uniqueness to his appearance, but his golden eyes is what told Hendery all he needed to know. 

He smiled discreetly to himself before introducing himself. 

"Hello Xiaojun, my name is Hendery. Nice to meet you too and I would like it if you'd drop the formalities. We are suppose to be 'friends' after all." 

Xiaojun realized his small mistake, making a little 'o' with his mouth, before settling back into a kind smile, nodding his head. "Of course, you-I'm sorry, Hendery." 

"Great, we're now closer to becoming best friends. Follow me, we're going to my study room to continue lessons with Mr. Kim. Hope you like boring lessons for 2 hours." 

"I think I can handle that," the blond replied with a chuckle. 

As they made their way to the other study room across the hall, near the library, Hendery suddenly remembered what Ten was able to do last night. So with a hoping sigh, he reached out mentally and said, _"Ten?"_

A moment passed. Then suddenly a cold feeling made its way inside his head, making him shiver slightly before he heard a voice.

_"Little prince?"_

_"Oh my gods! It does work!"_

_"Yes it does and can you stop talking so loud? It's too early for this."_

_"Sorry, I just needed to know if you could still hear me. And to also ask you a question."_

_"Well I'm at the edge of the city so that's why you can communicate with me right now. If I was back up on the mountain, we wouldn't have been able to talk due to how far we were. But what's your question, little prince?"_

_"Oh, that makes sense. But anyways, can you sense when another dragon is nearby, by any chance? Obviously outside of your clan, because-wait why are you at the edge of the city?"_

Hendery's eyebrows furrowed. He would think the dragons would hide as much as possible, especially with how many guards were near their home yesterday. 

_"That I cannot tell you, yet, but about the dragon...I would say yes, but if they were near our den. Kun nor I have sensed any other dragons around. The others haven't either. Why? Have you seen another dragon today?"_

_"I think I'm with a hiding one right now."_

_"What do they look like? Did they give you a name?"_

_"His name is Xiaojun. Short, white blond hair, thick eyebrows, and gold eyes. Overall he looks human, but from these past two days, I think I can now tell who's a dragon and who's not."_

A beat passed before Ten responded again. 

_"Doesn't ring any bells. I'll check in with the leader later, see if he knows anyone by that name, but for now lay low. Don't give him any reason to suspect that you know, because he could either be a spy under the control of someone or just a dragon trying to fit in and not get captured."_

_"Okay, I'll lay low."_

_"Good. I gotta go, little prince. I'll talk to you when I can. Later."_

_"Bye."_

After the cold feeling vacated from his mind, he realized he had been standing in front of the study room door for a while now, noticing Xiaojun staring at the side of his head. 

"Uh, are you okay? You kind of dozed off there." 

"Huh? Yeah, sorry, I was thinking if I remembered to do my homework or not. Let's head inside." 

"Okay." 

Before he could reach for the doorknob himself, Xiaojun stepped in front of him before grabbing the golden knob and pulling the door open, gesturing for the prince to enter first. Hendery sighed before thanking him and giving him a small smile. 

Maybe Xiaojun really was just was a dragon in hiding to avoid being captured. But then again...he could never be too cautious. Especially with how close he was to uncovering many secrets of the past. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello? Is anyone here? 
> 
> :] I'm baaaaaack  
> And I deeply apologize for leaving this fic for a HELLA long time, but I'm finally here and I AM DETERMINED TO FINISH THIS STORY!!!
> 
> To anyone who is still waiting and continuing to read this, thank you so SO SO MUCH for reading and again, I apologize for leaving you all hanging! I will try not to leave for such a long time again (no promises though)
> 
> Thank you again for reading and please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed this chapter! Bye! 
> 
> [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	13. YangYang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of death, murder, manipulation, and abuse
> 
> If you wish to skip, it'll be in between the + signs.

Once Ten ended his conversation with whoever it was he was talking to, he began to speed up his steps to catch up with younger who continued on walking through the sunny morning in the forest, not waiting for him when he saw the focused look in his eyes.

"Who were you talking to?" YangYang asked, turning to look at the older.

Ten gave him a questioning look before his face dissolved into an annoying smirk that made YangYang already regret asking. "It was your little prince."

The younger made a sour face. "Bleh! He's not mine. We're just friends. And what did he want anyway? I didn't even know you shared your mind link with him."

"Whatever you say~" Ten sing-songed, being careful on walking down a steep hill, holding onto nearby rocks that protruded from the earth, covered in thick moss, "and it was just yesterday I shared it with him. Thought it would make things easier if we're gonna start this whole search for the 'missing kingdom and where the culprit resides'. And he actually told me that he thinks there's a hiding dragon with him in the castle."

"What?" YangYang stopped in his tracks at the top of the hill, looking down at Ten with wide eyes. "Well then, what is he gonna do? Does he know they're actually a dragon?"

"Well from his description, it kinda sounds legit, but none of the others nor I have sensed anything, so maybe we'll inspect later. For now, you and I have got to find ourselves our missing clan leader who has not come back since yesterday."

When Ten had come back last night after dropping Hendery off back at the castle, everyone began to crowd him to tell him that Kun hadn't returned and it was already past midnight. It was very unlike the clan leader to suddenly disappear without saying anything. So since Ten was basically second-in-command when the leader wasn't there, he calmed everyone down and said that if he didn't return by morning, they were all going out on a search party to see if they could find him.

YangYang and Ten was to cover the forest, Yukhei and Jungwoo were covering the city, and Sicheng was to cover the air and any places above ground to see if their leader went to hide somewhere.

And no matter how hard they tried, they still couldn't catch his scent, which worried everyone immensely since covering up a dragon's scent was almost impossible with how enormous they were.

Once YangYang made it down the hill, both he and Ten kept looking around for any clues to finding Kun.

"Ten?"

"Yes?"

"...Do you think...do you think he abandoned us?"

Ten whipped his head around to look back at the younger, an unbelieving gaze settling on his face. "Why would you think that?"

YangYang shrugged uncertainly, his head dropping down between his shoulders to hide his face. "Well...Kun made it pretty obvious he didn't want me to ask him about Emerald City anymore and then suddenly we bring in a human who's discovered dragons exist and that he wanted to ask him about Emerald City _again_ when he clearly didn't want to talk about what had happened all those years ago. Maybe...maybe he got mad and-"

YangYang hadn't noticed Ten coming closer until he was roughly pulled into the shorter man's embrace, staying still in a shocked daze until he sighed and returned the hug. Ten began to run his fingers through the younger's hair, feeling him relax in his arms before rubbing his other hand down his back, smiling when he felt all the tension leave the boy's body.

Once he was sure he had calmed down from his rambling thoughts, he pulled back, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders and looking up at him with steady gaze.

"Kun would never abandon us. He's gone through a lot of hardships in his life and one thing he will never do is abandon anyone. Someone in need or a friend or even his family. I won't say he hasn't abandoned some people, but he was always forced to do it. Never willingly. So no, I don't think that and you shouldn't either, little sheep. Kun will come back, I know it. Even if he comes back first or us having to drag him back by his wings, either way he won't be gone for long."

YangYang hung onto every word the older spoke, his gentle but strong voice clearing all the negative thoughts crowding his head, making him believe that everything would be alright. Kun would come back. He loved them all too much to leave them.

"Okay. Thank you ge."

"Of course, baby." Ten then proceeded to squish the younger's cheeks, talking to him in a baby voice causing the younger to cringe and whine, pushing the older away when he tried to kiss his cheeks.

"Since when did my baby grow up? Why are you so tall now, my little sheep?" Ten continued to chase the boy, fake crying at YangYang for rejecting his love.

"I'm not your baby! I'm 18 now."

"I don't care! You could be 50 and still be my baby!"

"Ugh! Ten! Stop, you know I hate when-"

The two hadn't noticed they had run farther through the forest until they ended up in a clear area, void of trees and boulders. Instead of what they would usually see in the forest, they had ended up behind a small house instead. There was small garden behind it, looking like it had been very well taken care of with how healthy and happy all the different plants and flowers looked.

YangYang hadn't noticed he was walking closer either until he felt a felt a hand on his shoulder and was suddenly pulled back, making him lose his balance. When he regained it, he was then roughly pushed back towards the forest, still not comprehending what was happening.

"Ten, what are you-Ten! Can you stop pushing me? Why are we going back?"

"Shush! We can't be here! It's dangerous, now shut up and go-"

"But why-"

"Just quit asking questions and go-"

The sound of a door creaking and light footsteps made the two stop in their tracks, both heads turned towards the resident of the house. They would have fled to quickly hide before they had spotted them, but they stopped when they noticed the resident was staring straight at them with wide eyes.

It was a short man with caramel brown hair and soft looking skin. YangYang had a short lived thought about Ten being able to take him on, but then he had noticed his eyes.

They were indigo.

The eye color of witches.

They all stood stock still, not moving an inch in fear of what would happen if someone did. _Would the witch attack first? Or would Ten? Maybe Ten would make them invisible for the witch to not be able to see or sense them? Or maybe..._

YangYang's thoughts died off when he saw another person walking out of the house, much to his and Ten's utter surprise and horror.

They could recognize that head of white hair anywhere.

It was Kun.

~

"Care to explain why you left without saying anything and why you left to come...here?" Ten asked in a somewhat steady voice, YangYang sensing an underlying passive aggressiveness in the question.

After the witch had invited them all back inside, promising he wasn't a bad witch (they would be the judge of that), they had all sat down at the small table in the kitchen, a silver pot on the stove with steam coming out from the hole in the lid. YangYang had to admit, it smelled divine, but he wasn't here for witch's food. And besides, what if it was poisoned or something.

"I'll get to that, but I have to know, where are the others?"

Kun looked, to say the least, exhausted. He had horrible eye bags under his usually bright ice blue eyes and they also seemed to be a little puffy, but maybe YangYang was just seeing things. He's never seen his leader cry so just the thought of it kind of made him scared and also a bit sad.

"We had a whole search party for you, but I've already caught them up to date and told them we found you already. And before you ask, no, they're not coming here. I've already told them to meet us back at the cave so you better hurry up with your explanation before you want them to start worrying too."

Kun sighed in relief when hearing that the rest of their clan weren't coming, slumping down in the thin wooden chair.

"Kun-ge...why did you leave?" YangYang finally asked, looking for an answer in the older dragon's eyes.

Kun looked back up at him in surprise, quickly looking away when his eyes connected with the younger's, almost as if looking at him hurt him physically. He slumped down in the chair once more before he began to speak.

"Because..." he sighed again, but this time in defeat. He had closed his eyes, his hands wringing together, and his teeth chewing his bottom lip in a nervous manner.

YangYang had never seen him this way. It almost broke his heart, but he knew if he showed any pity, it would just make things worse. So he steeled his face to show nothing but the question he'd just asked, not wanting the dragon to notice the younger had seen how nervous he had gotten.

"Because I...I didn't want you all to know how much of a coward-"

+

A sudden slam on the table startled them all, looking over to see Ten with a furious look on his face, his clenched fist still placed down on the wood.

"Kun, stop. You know it wasn't your fault. He told you to leave and that's what you did. Gods know that if you had stayed, you would've died too. Especially since Ruhyuck wanted to kill you in the first place without fulfilling his end of the bargain."

"Yes, but I could've at least saved Jaehyun. I was the only one who could extract the poison that was killing him. Poison caused by me! You know I could've-"

"Kun, there was no way to save them! No matter how many different angles you look at the situation there was absolutely no way! Ruhyuck had your brother personally captive for a reason. Almost as if he knew you'd be the only one to go through with his plan when the time of freedom came. No one blames you, because we knew you were in such a difficult place. Even Taeyong-"

"No! Ten, I helped in killing them! Do you know how much that kills me everyday to remember how they just let me go! How Taeyong just let me go because he wanted to help me! And I was a coward for fucking leaving! I left them to die! I knew they wouldn't have survived, especially with how determined Ruhyuck was to take over the city! Ten! I killed them!"

When the tears had started to run down Kun's face, everyone stayed still. YangYang looked over at Ten to see his eyes shining with unshed tears and he noticed that he himself was crying already.

Kun had gotten up when he had begun yelling, his back now facing them with heaving sobs leaving his lips. No one moved or said anything for a good moment. Only the sound of sobs and sniffles were heard from the leader, YangYang looking down at his lap to try and calm himself down before he was in the same state as Kun.

Then he heard the scraping of a chair that caused him to look up, seeing Ten gently turn Kun around and wrap him tightly in his arms.

It seemed like everyone needed a hug from Ten today.

"No one thinks you're a coward, Kun," Ten started softly, his voice sounding seconds away from breaking, "and I know you blame yourself for everything that had happened, but you have to accept that this was all Ruhyuck's doing. Not yours." 

"B-but I-" 

"But nothing," Ten pulled back, placing his hands on the leader's shoulders just like he had done with YangYang earlier, "he manipulated and abused you. And you took it all with no complaint so none of it would fall down on your brother. You were just doing everything to protect him and everyone understands that. Even Taeyong understood that. And I know he would tell you that he doesn't blame you, because he's the kind of person to understand before acting upon anything. He wouldn't want you to be blaming yourself all these years later. So please, stop hurting yourself like this."

+

More tears and sobs had begun to escape Kun, his body shaking with how strong his long held sorrow had poured out. Ten wasn't any better. His tears had finally fallen, but he stayed strong for their leader, knowing he needed a pillar of support right now. 

And then finally, Kun nodded. His face red and puffy from his ongoing tears refusing to stop pouring, but with all the energy he had left, he nodded again and said, "Okay." 

"Okay" Ten replied back, pulling him back into his arms as he rocked them back and forth to try and calm down the older. He then turned his head around to look for YangYang, spreading his arm out and beckoning for the younger to join in on their hug. 

YangYang walked towards them with no hesitation, wrapping his arms around them both, feeling safe like he always did when he was with the two oldest dragons. He basked in their warmth and comfort, leaning his head against Kun's to silently say that he was there for him always. 

As they continued to stay in their own little bubble of familiar love, a sudden _ding!_ startled them all, pulling away before looking back at the witch who looked back at them with wide eyes and sheepish smile. 

"S-sorry! I forgot I had put the timer on," the witch nervously laughed, scratching his head in embarrassment. 

"Anyone up for some soup?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ngl, this chapter made me tear up a little TT
> 
> [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	14. YangYang

After all the tears had been shed, Taeil feeding them with his amazing cooking skills, and then Kun laying down on the couch with a cool rag over his eyes to tame down the swelling and the headache that came right after his well deserved cry, did they sit down on the floor across from the witch and begin asking questions and getting answers. 

"Wait, so you've known him basically ever since we got here?" Ten pointed an accusing finger at Kun who was still blind to the world with the rag over his eyes, "and you didn't even bother to tell me?" 

"Well Ten, knowing you, "Kun started in a bored voice, "you probably wouldn't have been too fond of the idea and suggest that we look somewhere else to live. I know how wary you are of witches, and I don't blame you, but Taeil-ge is different." 

"Ge?!" Both Ten and YangYang turned to look at Taeil who sat behind the coffee table with a patient smile on his lips. He smiled even wider when they both turned to look at him. 

_"You really think this guy is a witch? He looks too nice."_ YangYang asked Ten who gave him a side eye.

_"You can never be too cautious when it comes to witches. They're known to lure you into a trap with their sweet smiles and great smelling food and candy. And besides, his eyes are indigo, so of course he's a witch!"_

_"Do you think he did something to the soup?"_

Both Ten and YangYang turned to look at each with with wide eyes, gulping simultaneously and not knowing if their gurgling of their stomachs was from being full or whatever the witch did to their soup was finally starting to do its thing. 

_Oh gods._

Suddenly the witch then started to giggle, a melodic sound that sounded too sweet for someone so dangerous. 

"I promise I didn't do anything to the soup." 

Gasps rang out causing Kun to finally curse under his breath and sit up, a frustrated huff leaving his mouth. "Stop it, you two! The only reason I decided to stay is because we made a deal. I protect him if he was ever to be found out and sent to prison, or worse, execution. If we were ever to be found out, he'd protect us. It was mutual ground. And besides, he lives at the edge of the forest, while we live all the way up in the mountain, no one was being bothered." 

Ten looked seconds away from arguing again when Taeil decided to speak up. "I know you've all had bad experiences with witches, from what Kun has told me, but I promise you I won't hurt or take advantage of you. You don't have to believe or even trust me, but I just want you to know just in case you do." 

Ten still looked a bit skeptical, looking the witch up and down with his untrusting green eyes, but sighed and nodded. "I'm not trusting you, but I'll tolerate you just for Kun's sake. Apparently you've helped him a lot when we first moved here." 

Taeil nodded and smiled. "I can take that. And yes, we both did actually. He helped me with building this house and even gathered some rare herbs for me in places I could never go or reach." 

"What kind of witch are you?" asked YangYang just as curious about the witch as Ten was guarded. 

"I'm a nature witch. I create medicine through natural herbs and help with season changings in this part of the land. There's a lot more of course, but I usually just stick to the ground and taking care of the forest." 

"You help the forest?" 

Taeil nodded. "I do. I make sure it's healthy and thriving and also to cover tracks such as yours and anything remotely dragon-like."

"And he also helped us when it came to taking care of you when you were a babe." 

YangYang turned his head around to look at Kun who had a pleased smile on his face, then turning back around towards the witch who agreed. 

"How? I thought no one knew about you until...today." 

"No one did," Ten began, realization dawning on his face as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "Kun told us he had been spying on a family in the city who had a newborn like we did and just took lessons from them from afar and brought that information back to us. But it was Taeil all along, wasn't it?" 

Kun scratched his head when slit green eyes whipped towards him, looking away to avoid Ten's burning gaze. "Okay, yes, I was getting help from Taeil instead. But hey, you have to admit, it was great advice and helped a lot when it came to this one right here," Kun stated, putting his hand on YangYang's shoulder. 

"I guess." 

"Don't be such a dick." 

"I wouldn't have to be if you just told me in the first place!" 

"You really think you'd stay if you knew there was a witch at the edge of the forest? You'd flee!" 

"Maybe I wouldn't have if you just told me!" 

"Ten..." 

Both dragons continued to bicker behind YangYang, the boy sighing and rolling his eyes, used to this regular occurrence. However, Taeil looked a bit nervous when seeing the two, never having been in this situation before.

YangYang let out a chuckle. "They argue all the time, it's nothing." 

Taeil's eyes flicked back to him, sighing a bit and letting out a nervous chuckle. "Do they really?"

"Yep! Nothing new." 

As the two continued to argue, both of them too stubborn to back down over a miniscule problem, did Taeil stand up and jerk his head towards the kitchen. 

"Care to help me prepare a snack?" 

"Sure." 

As they walked away and headed into the kitchen, Taeil getting a wooden cutting board and knife ready, the argument becoming quieter and quieter, did YangYang ask another question. 

"So did you ever hear about Emerald City when it was destroyed?" 

Taeil paused for a second, the knife in his hand stopping in the middle of slicing an apple before continuing again. 

"I did. But I wasn't living anywhere near it. I did visit one year though. Hendery's research does it no justice." 

YangYang's eyes widened. "You've met the prince?" 

Taeil looked up at him, eyes widening when he realized what he had just said. He then let out a what-can-you-do-sigh before nodding, placing the slices of apple into a nearby bowl before continuing to cut up some fresh strawberries that were sitting in front of him. 

"I have. My husband is actually the prince's tutor, and they're both just as obsessed." 

"Did you tell your husband about what really happened? About who really took over the city?" 

Taeil slowly put down the knife on the cutting board, a sad look in his eyes that confused YangYang when he looked back at the witch. 

"He doesn't know..." Taeil spoke softly, too softly to the point where YangYang almost didn't catch it. 

"Doesnt know what?" 

"That I'm..." Taeil didn't finish, a lost gaze in his eyes that made the younger even more confused by what the other had meant. It wasn't until he replayed the words over and over in his head that he understood. 

"That you're a witch?" YangYang whispered, not wanting to upset the other if he spoke too loud. 

He nodded slowly, making his lips into a thin line before continuing to cut up more fruit and place it in the bowl. 

"But why? How long have you been married?" 

"Well...almost 15 years, but I don't want to rope him up in any of this stuff. Witches are known to be dangerous beings, almost like gods from their immense powers and they're not really known for their great reputations. And I don't know if the others have told you, but witches were the reason king Ruhyuck was able find the dragons. With their magic, they were able to track all the dens and be taken in. And also the reason for everyone's memory loss." 

YangYang's eyebrows furrowed. "Memory loss? What are you talking about?" 

"When Emerald City was completely conquered, other kingdoms had heard about the horrible misfortune that had happened and wanted to defend it. But before they could even make plans, Ruhyuck had gathered his coven of witches and made them make the land forget all about Emerald city and what had happened. Of course, magic isn't really all too promising with these types of things. Making all of the land forget? Impossible. Why? Because there will at least be someone protected from any type of magic, be it human, dragon, witch, or any other type of living species. It's just not guaranteed it'll last. And for something as big as this, it definitely wouldn't have." 

"And so instead of making everyone forget, they decided to make it a story. A myth. An unsolved mystery. The history books were rewritten with Emerald City being taken over and destroyed by an unknown force millions of years ago. Not something that had happened so recent so the council wouldn't have to get involved in searching who actually did it. So when everyone had heard about what happened, their minds were changed when they read that it happened so long ago. Something so old, it was nothing of importance now. Of course, I didn't let my husband be too behind in the truth." 

"I changed his textbooks for actual facts of the incident and within 2 years, he had caught up with the help of the prince who had his own motive for finding out what happened. And ever since Kun came down the mountain in an angry heap, telling me about some prince asking about the great city, I knew that they've finally learned the real truth."

YangYang had concentrated on every word the witch spilled, more shocked than ever to learn something new about the story behind the dragons' capture and also how powerful witches could really be. No wonder Ten was so wary about them. 

"And all this time, you knew the whole truth?" 

Taeil nodded, looking at at the younger boy. "I did. But I know I couldn't outright say it since then that would've led me to revealing myself to him. I just...I just don't think I'm ready for him to know yet. I want to enjoy my time with him before ruining our entire marriage." 

YangYang felt bad for the witch, assuming it was very hard to keep such a dear secret to himself so he wouldn't ruin his life with his loved one that he seemed to care so deeply for. 

"Well, if one day you decide to tell him and he still doesn't want to continue to be with you, then he never really loved you in the first place." 

Taeil looks up at his words and sighs, nodding before handing him a full bowl of chopped up fruit while he takes out cups and a pitcher of water before joining YangYang at the edge of the kitchen. 

"Y'know, for a young one, you really do have good advice." 

"Thanks, it's from being given life lessons from Kun-ge all the time." 

That makes the witch laugh, a sweet rich laugh that comes deep within his chest. "A good advice giver and a jest. The prince must be taken with you, I'm sure." 

YangYang shakes his head furiously before looking away, wanting to fight down the deep blush that rises onto his cheeks from the witch's words. _He's delusional_ , he tells himself.

"Actually, do you think I can ask you another question?" YangYang asks, deciding to change the subject. 

"Sure." 

"How old are you? Kun-ge called you 'ge' earlier and he's as old as they come." 

Another hearty laugh. "Well I'm actually..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm will we ever know Taeil's age some day? Maaaaybe or Maaaaybe not 👀
> 
> [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	15. Hendery

It had been 2 weeks since Hendery's deal with his father, giving him a bit more freedom now that he had to agreed to take his 'friend' (babysitter) everywhere and anywhere he went. 

He thought getting rid of him was going to be as easy as getting rid of his guards, but that was not the case. Trying to get away from Xiaojun proved to be a harder task. 

Taking him to his studies was fine, the other boy keeping himself occupied with a book or with a piece of blank paper, doodling across it as Doyoung and him exchanged meaningful looks and secrets words, sometimes even passing notes so the other wouldn't catch on to what they were really up to. 

It was when Hendery tried to meet up with YangYang and the others that he had started to become annoyed.

The first time they decided to go to the city, Hendery couldn't shake him off whatsoever. They entered many, _many_ shops, sometimes Hendery even buying useless things since he pushed the other to pick up something as well, trying to make his escape then but then always getting blocked by the blond boy, a wide smile on his face, showing the prince what he had found. 

He wanted to ask the dragons for help but then thought better of it since dragons could sense other dragons. And if Hendery's suspicions were correct, then Xiaojun would definitely be able to sense the others from a mile away.

So the next time they went into the city, Hendery had asked a close acquaintance for help. 

This time around, Xiaojun and him had gone to an old bookshop that sold good quality pens, ink, and other beautifully created stationary items for writers and journalists like himself. Hendery decided to finally give up and buy a new journal, his already filled up journal completely ripping away at the seams and it took a flutter of loose pages and small items from his journal to make him give in. 

Doyoung cried with relief when Hendery told him. 

So now here they were, Hendery looking for a top quality made journal, wanting this new one to last just as long as his old one, and the prince secretly waiting for his acquaintance to arrive. He could see from the corner of his eye that Xiaojun was looking through the bejeweled pens and dangling bookmarks, not sure if the sound of low purring was just his imagination or not. 

Before he could dwell more on the sound, he then suddenly got bumped into, both him and the other person making an 'oof' sound from the impact. Xiaojun turned around with wide eyes and a defensive stance, Hendery just barely catching it before the other had calmed down into a more normal stance. 

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I should've seen where I was going!" 

Hendery turned around and just as he was expecting, he was now face to face with Mr. Kim's husband, Moon Taeil. He internally smiled and cheered, elated that the older man decided to help him without any qualms. Of course they decided to keep this from the tutor since he'd be heavily against it, but what he doesn't know won't kill him, right? 

So with Hendery's best prince-like smile pasted on, he began to act. "Oh no, it's okay, I probably should've seen where I was standing. Are you okay though? Not hurt anywhere?" 

"Me? No, I'm fine, I should be asking you that though, your highness, I seriously didn't mean to bump into you so harshly. I apologize, again," Taeil winced, pretending to look over the prince to make sure he wasn't hurt badly anywhere. 

While the two continued to apologize back and forth, both putting on their best fronts in front of the other boy who watched them both attentively, did Hendery hear a small voice wiggle its way inside his head, speaking only one word: _"Now."_

Taeil then immediately turned towards Xiaojun, startling him for a second before he composed himself and smiled politely towards the older man. "And are you okay? I didn't scare you too much, did I?" 

When Xiaojun's golden eyes made contact with Taeil's, Hendery's eyebrows furrowed when the other boy froze in place, eyes going wide and mouth dropping open. Hendery was confused by the other's expression but knew he couldn't dwell on it too much since the voice in his head began to tell him to hurry up. 

So while Taeil provided the distraction, talking impossibly fast, almost incomprehensible, making wild gestures with his hands to throw off the other boy, probably not even needing to do it since Xiaojun hadn't moved an inch since facing the older man, did Hendery make his escape. 

He had taken the back door of the shop since the front door had a loud bell attached to it, announcing to the owner that a customer had entered, and he didn't want the sound to distract Xiaojun and alert him of his disappearance. 

Once he was outside, he began to run. 

He held his bag in place, running as fast he could through the city, the civilians stepping back and away when they saw him running through the streets like a madman, the soon-to-be-fall sun and wind washing over his face. 

As he finally made it to the edge of the city, still running up the steep hill that led into the forest, did he finally stop and look back, loud gasps falling from his mouth, sweat beading at his temple, and his legs shaking to the point he had to lean up against a boulder to catch his breath and energy. 

In the sun, he could see the boulder more clearly, rays of sunlight peeking through trees and creating golden streaks across the boulder's rough gray surface. He smiled at the memory of YangYang and him hiding behind this boulder when they had run up here to hide from the guards that were after him. 

_Wow, look how far we've_ _come._

A loud huff brought him back to reality, Hendery turning his head to see Ten in his dragon form, motioning his head for him to hurry and get on. So with another pat on the boulder's surface and another look around to make sure Xiaojun hadn't already noticed him missing, did he make his way over to Ten and started mentally bracing himself for another dragon ride up to the mountain. 

~

When Hendery arrived, hopping off Ten and thanking the gods for not puking again, YangYang had laughed at his disheveled state, leaning up to try and calm down his wind blown hair, raven strands falling back into place with the help of the younger's combing. 

Hendery hadn't noticed that he was looking at YangYang's (cute) concentrated face, until Ten stepped in between them and told them to hurry up and to 'quit their flirting'. Whatever that means.

Since there was no way YangYang nor Hendery could communicate without the help of Ten being the messenger between them, he was very shocked when Kun had decided to give his side of the story of what had happened all those years ago. 

Since he didn't get a chance to actually buy a new journal, he had already been carrying some loose paper in his satchel just incase there were some other facts and events he needed to write down that he couldn't fit in his old one. He mentally thanked Doyoung for the idea. 

As Kun retold his story from the time he was captured to the time he was forced to cooperate with Ruhyuck, the others had joined them and sat around them on the floor, listening attentively to their leader's story. 

Sicheng sat behind Hendery, curling his large body around the prince as he laid his head on his clawed feet, ruby red eyes looking at Kun as he listened. Both Yukhei and Jungwoo were beside Kun, giving him soft encouragements and pats on the knee or back when he began to choke up. Ten and YangYang were off to the side, Ten still in his sleek black dragon form, too lazy to turn back and change into clothes, YangYang laying down on him.

Apparently they were always lazy, according to YangYang who giggled mischievously when he was whacked in the head by a black scaly tail.

Hendery had learned that Ruhyuck had taken Kun and his younger brother, Chenle, under his own personal watch. The leader never knew why he was specifically chosen but he had a suspicion that it was because he was a frost dragon, a very rare species of dragons amongst the race. 

Ruhyuck was only able to control and manipulate Kun into doing his bidding because if he didn't, the ruthless king would threaten with harming Chenle. 

"We were always kept in cages," Kun continued, Hendery never stopping his pen from moving across the page, a few filled pages already set to dry on the ground beside him, "we were also kept in different rooms. Every time, I'd come back from doing a task, he would let me see Chenle for a few seconds to show me he was still okay and alive and then put me back into the cage." 

Hendery hadn't noticed he was shaking and gripping the pen so hard, almost breaking under his grip until he saw that the words he was writing were unintelligible, deciding to just scratch it off and write it again. 

He couldn't believe all the things he was hearing; anger, heartbreak, sorrow, every emotion making him unbelievably more determined to find Ruhyuck and take him down for all the crimes he had committed against these innocent people who were just trying to live. 

But of course there was always going to be evil in this world, reaching into the hearts and minds of people who never deserved any of it, let alone the dragons who were always in hiding. 

He still couldn't believe it had only been 18 years since it happened. He hadn't even turned a year old yet. And what shocked him more was that YangYang had been even younger. A whole newborn! A newborn that the dragons raised into a happy and mischievous young man, beautiful green eyes that would glow in the sun and smile so sweet and innocent looking you would think he could never do any wrong. 

Ten of course would always quash down those thoughts with stories of horrible pranks the boy would play on them. 

"When the dragons were freed, Chenle and I were left behind since we were hidden deep in the secret tunnels of the dungeon, no human or dragon being able to make it through with how heavily guarded it was. And it wasn't only just guards watching us, it was the witches too." 

Hendery paused, looking up at Kun with a bewildered look. "Witches?" 

Ten shuddered when he said the word, Hendery looking over to see YangYang already looking back at him, nodding while biting his lip. 

"That's how they were found," YangYang began, "the witches were helping Ruhyuck find all the hidden dragon dens with their magic and that's how they were able to find and capture them all." 

"Witches are real?" 

"If dragons are real, then why can't witches be too?" 

Hendery thought about it then agreed. "Yeah, you do have a point there. Any other beings I should know about?" 

"You ever lose a sock?" 

"Yeaaahh?" Hendery could tell from YangYang's growing smirk that he was about get played. 

"Ever notice how it's always the left ones?" 

"I...I guess." 

"Then those are trolls." 

Silence followed right after. Then stupid loud laughter from both YangYang and Hendery who were throwing themselves everywhere from the dumb joke, Sicheng and Ten whacking them both upside the head. 

It seemed to relieve the tension a little, so after the two young boys had gathered themselves, Kun began to proceed in retelling his story, now telling the part of what happened on the day Emerald City was obliterated. 

Kun had told them that Ruhyuck had sent him to spy on the kings for awhile and return back to him to tell him all the information he had gathered that day. Once he was satisfied with everything he knew, army ready to invade, and Chenle relocated somewhere where Kun couldn't sense nor find him, did Ruhyuck attack the unknowing city. 

Kun now still doesn't know where his brother is, but the only thing he does know is that he's alive. Between dragon families, they're able to sense each other whether it be emotions, thoughts, actions, or even if they're hurt or alive. 

Kun's only hope of ever seeing his brother again is from the deep familiar feeling in his heart that Chenle is still alive. And that's all he needs to know to be determined to find him again. 

~

When Hendery was brought back to the city, pages hidden in his satchel, fingers and hands streaked with dark ink against his pale skin, heart solemn, did he notice a lone figure sitting on the village fountain, sitting on the smoothed over beige stone. He could tell by the pearly blond hair and thick eyebrows that it was Xiaojun, most likely waiting for him to return. 

As he was beginning to make his way over, excuses already ready to fall easily from his lips, did he suddenly stop. A hooded figure began approaching the sitting boy, Xiaojun looking up and sitting up straight when he saw the other, a serious look in his eyes.

Hendery quickly hid behind a flower stall to hide and sneakily look at his 'friend' talking with the hooded figure, nodding and saying a few words back to the other. After a few more seconds of nodding and a few more words spoken between them that Hendery couldn't catch, did the hooded figure leave and Xiaojun reassuming his sitting position on the edge of the fountain. 

_"Ten?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Are you still nearby?"_

_"Yeah, why?"_

_"Do you think you could tail someone for me?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you suppose the hooded figure is? 
> 
> [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


	16. YangYang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of abuse and death, Blood
> 
> If you wish to skip, I'll put a + at the start and another + at the end
> 
> The last beginning + goes all the way to end so there will be no ending +

"Do you really think this hood guy is working for Ruhyuck? Or better yet, that Xiaojun is?" whispered YangYang over his shoulder, trying not to make too much noise to alert the hooded figure they'd been following for a while now, surprisingly, deep into the forest. 

When Hendery had told Ten what he had seen, Ten immediately came to fetch him, invisibly of course, and along with YangYang, they had all been following the guy for a little over a good hour.

Hendery and YangYang had been on Ten's back the whole time, the dragon not even breaking a sweat despite carrying two grown young men. In YangYang's defense it was Ten's idea since it would be easier to make them both invisible along with him. Ten's words, not his. 

And also despite having been in this position before, YangYang couldn't help but feel a little timid with how Hendery was practically plastered onto his back, breath sometimes tickling his ear. It took all of his willpower not to shiver when it happened. 

He knew there was no other way for the other to hold on since any type of movement Ten made almost caused them to fall over everytime. If YangYang hadn't already had experience and Hendery loosely hanging onto his waist then they'd both be in trouble when it came to Ten moving forward.

"Well they both did look suspicious when they were talking. Either way, if they aren't spies for Ruhyuck, maybe they'll give us a lead to where the guy really is," Hendery whispered back, looking over the smaller boy's head to keep an eye on the figure still walking through the trees. 

_"Are you sure you haven't found out where he is yet? He's a king, you should've been able to locate him days ago"_ Ten spoke to them, stopping for a moment when the figure stopped too, looking around before walking straight again.

"Well if I could, you really think we'd still be here following some mysterious person to see if they can lead us back to Ruhyuck?" 

_"Hey, don't get sassy with me, prince. I'll leave you here and now if you'd like."_

"...sorry." 

"Even if we did find him, what would we even do?" queried YangYang, taking a small glance at the prince who's eyes were still focused to the front. 

"We'll expose him for everything he's done." 

A snort made its way through their minds, both of them looking down at Ten's scaly head. _"Yeah, like that'll work."_

"What else are we supposed to do?" scoffed Hendery, looking a little annoyed at Ten's disbelief. 

_"Not expose him. The guy's surrounded by witches for gods' sakes, a whole coven of them. We don't even stand a chance against the guy. He took down an entire kingdom with just an army and no one else. The witches weren't present that night, so imagine what he could do when they are there with him. We'd be obliterated, or worse, caged again."_

"But if the council heard of all the crimes he's done in the past, they're sure to imprison him. He can't get away with everything that he's done. Murder, war, overtaking an entire kingdom without proper word to the council. They'll listen-" 

_"Get off."_

YangYang knew from the tone of Ten's voice that he was beyond annoyed. He was angry. "Ten, wait-" he tried saying but was suddenly cut off from a deadly growl, startling the two boys still seated on his back. 

_"Get. Off. Now."_

They did as they were told, hopping off the dragon's back and facing him, YangYang ready to start being the mediator between the dragon and the prince. But with a gentle nudge, YangYang was pushed aside as Ten walked towards the prince who had displeased look on his usually happy face. 

+

YangYang began to worry. 

_"You don't know what it feels like to be ripped away from your home, caged, poked with swords for entertainment, pushed and kicked around, all so a stupid human king can sell you off for profit like a bag of priceless jewels or make you a weapon of war. You don't know what it feels like to see your family taken away from you and killed for their skin or to see them being used as leverage so you can do the king's bidding. You don't know what it feels like to know when your next meal will be or when you'll be able to see sunlight again. You being a happy little prince prancing around in your big castle with guards, and gold, and a silly little spoon to feed you full know nothing about any of these types of things._

_"So I'm sorry if me being scared of getting found again and having to go through everything that I have already went through is messing with your plans to expose a ruthless king who wouldn't hesitate to do that again and to possibly kill you just to keep you quiet. You have no idea what this man is capable of, so I suggest you keep your mouth before he does it for you._ _Permanently."_

_+_

All the anger and tension Ten was radiating was giving both of them a headache, YangYang looking back up at Hendery to see the understanding blooming in his dark eyes. Despite the sun already set for the day, YangYang could still see well in the dark, a skill taught to him by his family just in case he was ever to get lost in the forest at night. 

Hendery let out a deep sigh, YangYang seeing his shoulders slump, fingers coming up to grab the strap of his satchel, the brown leather bright and worn, probably from that habit of his when he was thinking.

"Ten, I-" 

Suddenly the air stilled, all three of them freezing in place when a thin like whistle flew past their ears and then-

"Stop right there!" 

+

Ten let out a loud cry of pain, both YangYang and Hendery turning around to see a large group of uniformed men coming towards them, the man in front of the group holding a large bow. YangYang quickly turned back around to see Ten's front leg bleeding, a large white arrow protruding from his scales.

"Ten!" YangYang shouted, dropping to his knees in front of the dragon, fingers gingerly coming towards the arrow, getting ready to take it out. His breathing came out in short heavy pants, vision blurring with an onslaught of tears threatening to spill, anxiety and fear clawing its way up his throat, almost choking him to death. 

YangYang looked back up at Ten, the dragon writhing in pain as the arrow stayed imbedded deep in his skin. He had to take it out. Now!

"No! Don't take it out, he'll bleed to death if we do that. We need to hide him before they catch up to us" Hendery spoke hurriedly, looking back over his shoulder at the men approaching them quickly, their joined footfalls practically shaking the earth. His face was just as pale as the moon, fingers clammy and shaky as he adjusted his satchel, crouched down next to YangYang who looked back at him in disbelief. 

"W-we can't just leave it in there either! He'll die!" 

Hendery turned to look back at him, eyes a little more calmer now than they were before. YangYang wanted to punch him for looking so calm in such a serious situation, but then realized panicking wasn't going to help anything or anyone, especially Ten. 

"I know" the other boy started, voice a little calmer, hands on YangYang's shoulders to help him settle down, "but we need to hide him or else they'll find him and do something to him. He's not exactly human." 

As the men began to get closer, Hendery turned back down towards Ten who was in a panting heap on the ground, blood continuing to gush out from his wound, but not as much since the arrow wasn't giving the liquid any space to leave. 

+

"Ten, you have to shift." 

A pained growl responded back, YangYang wanting to comfort his older brother but knowing this wasn't the time. 

_"Why?"_

"Do you want them to know they just shot a dragon?"

Ten lifted his head up, a bit slowly, before looking up at the prince with narrowed green eyes. His body language shifted and YangYang knew exactly what was going to happen right at that moment. Before he could give a warning, Ten spit a small fireball towards the prince who yelped in surprise, flailing his arms through the air to try and get rid of of the fire that disappeared before it could even made contact with him. 

Ten chuckled evilly in their minds, Hendery looking back at the dragon who looked right back, but this time with an infuriating look. YangYang all but knew that look. 

Hendery huffed and looked back at YangYang who offered a shrug and a wry smile. "Welcome to my world." 

"Hey you two!" 

YangYang and Hendery froze at the voice, both quickly standing up to come face to face with a tall man, his face set into one of suspicion as he overlooked both of the boys. Thankfully Hendery caught YangYang's subtle way of moving his body in front of Ten's, hiding him from the scrutinizing gazes of all the men looking back at them. Hendery joined him and moved his body in front of Ten's as well, making sure to limit his movements so it wouldn't be noticed.

Then surprise overtook both Hendery and Johnny's faces at once. 

"Johnny?" 

"Your Highness?!" 

YangYang almost gasped, turning to look back at Hendery who still was looking back at the tall man in shock. When he looked back over at the man, he noticed that he was wearing a large black cape, hood limply settled on his back and shoulders. _Was he the hooded figure?_

"Your highness, w-what are you doing out here? And without Xiaojun, I thought-" 

"Oh...I...I uh...I got sidetracked! Yeah. I got sidetracked and I didn't know I had left him at the shop when, what do you know, it was already nighttime. Ha..." 

The man, or as Hendery had called him, Johnny, then looked back at YangYang, eyes raking over the young boy's form, confusion already settling onto his face. "And this is..."

"Hui. My name is Hui." YangYang was definitely not going to give this guy his real name. What if he ever mentioned his name to someone important? But then again, no one even knows he exists so how could they know-

As Johnny and Hendery continued to speak, a sudden crashing noise from behind them resonated throughout the quiet of the night, trees swaying dangerously from the impact of whatever had happened. One thing was for sure though, the unmistakable sound of Ten's scream had accompanied the sound of the crash, causing both boys to bolt towards the crash, ignoring Johnny's protests. 

+

They rounded a corner of a large hill-like-rock when they saw Ten on the ground, bleeding even more from his arm and new wounds spreading across his legs and torso. They both ran up to him, YangYang distinctly hearing the sounds of running footsteps right on their trail. He ignored them in favor of getting Ten to stand up again, flinching when Ten yelped loudly in his ear when he tried to help him up onto his feet. 

"Ten! What happened? You were almost gone and free, what-" 

"A...a witch...she was here..." Ten's eyes began to droop, words slurring together to the point that YangYang had to strain his ears just to hear him correctly. 

Hendery and YangYang looked back up at each other in worry and confusion, then going back to carefully help Ten stand on his feet. The boy winced when he saw the horrible scratches across Ten's skin, trying not to panic when he saw how deep some of them went. 

But what really did make him start to panic was when Ten's skin began to darken, ebony streaks of scales beginning to coat his skin for protection. Ten's body was going on autopilot, trying to protect his human body just in case their was another attack.

"No no no no! Ten! Ten you can't do that right here, they'll notice! C'mon, stay-" 

"What are you doing running off like-" 

There was no time. 

YangYang and Hendery had turned back around to see Johnny and the rest of the uniformed men right behind him, all staring at the the two boys who were holding up an unconscious man who was beginning to sport thick black like scales across his bloodied skin. 

There was definitely no logical explanation for this whatsoever. 

And whatever the outcome was to be, YangYang didn't think he could ever be ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: [Ethmellie](https://twitter.com/kingcherrybomb)


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